Sunsets and Sunrises
by Data Girl 3
Summary: The Bohemians lives are undergoing many great changes. But they learn that, as long as they hold on to their love for each other, the most important things will stay the same.
1. A Time of Peace

**AN: **The end of my Emily Story Arc begins here. Because of that, I'm going to make every attempt to make this my finest work yet. And I can promise that _everyone_ is going to be in this story. So, here's the first installment. Enjoy it.

* * *

Mark shuffled out of the Loft, closing the sliding metal door behind him, the sounds of low moaning, guttural growls, and squeaking bed springs echoing in the Loft and in his head. There was no way he was going to get any sleep with _those two_ going on like that. It was time to cash in on the long-standing offer of Emily, the Bohemian photographer he'd been officially dating for two months now. Mark slowly made his way down the dark staircase, trying not to loose his footing while contemplating how the stairs had seen much better days. The wood was certainly getting very brittle, that was for sure. He could always feel it shifting under his weight every time he used them.

Casting those thoughts aside, he reached Emily's door and knocked. After a long wait, the door opened and a sleepy-looking Emily looked back at him in her two-piece pajama set that featured a baseball pattern.

"Hi, Emily," Mark smiled sheepishly. "Really sorry to come by so late, but… they're at it again."

"Again?" Emily gaped incredulously, turning her eyes to the part of the ceiling she knew was below Roger and Mimi's room. "Man, those two are insatiable, aren't they? Okay, then. Just give me a moment to get you a pillow and blanket." Emily moved to a wooden trunk positioned by the window and took out a heavy comforter and a small foam pillow. Almost routinely, she arranged them on her sofa, making a makeshift bed. Mark knew from experience he shouldn't offer help. Emily liked taking care of people. It was part of her nature.

"I'm really sorry about this, Emily," Mark apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Emily waved off the apology. "It's not your fault. You just get yourself some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." Clutching her cane, Emily began to return to her bed. Mark, however, took hold of her arm as she passed to stop her and gave her a quick kiss.

"Really, Emily. Thanks."

"Anytime, Mark," Emily replied, kissing him in return before continuing to her bed. "I'll make you some Mickey Mouse pancakes tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"Sounds great, thanks," Mark grinned, getting into his makeshift bed on Emily's sofa, sleep coming to him soon afterward.

* * *

The first thing Mimi felt as her body eased out of sleep was the warmth of the sun on her skin. Keeping her eyes closed, she contented herself to just lie there for a bit. Stretching out her legs slightly made her aware of the familiar soreness in her muscles, particularly in the lower regions. The memory of what had occurred last night to cause that pleasant type of pain brought a smile to her face. Mere moments after her thoughts turned to him, she felt a feather-light touch run across her face as fingers stroked some of her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. At the touch, Mimi finally decided to open her eyes, which brought a bare chest into focus. Smiling wider, she brought her eyes upward to take in the passionate green eyes and loving smile that was currently directed at her.

"Morning, baby," Roger spoke in a voice made husky by sleep, bending down and placing a warm, heavy kiss on her lips.

"Mmm. How long have you been up?"

"Not too long. You just looked so peaceful, I didn't have the heart to wake you up." Roger continued to place a series of kisses on Mimi's bare shoulder and collarbone. "You're so beautiful."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Mimi smirked, curling up against him, fully enjoying the feel of his skin on hers as his strong arms pulled her closer. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The lovers began kissing once again, making full use of their teeth and tongues, fully prepared to start another round. However, the moment was spoiled when the sound of a growling stomach filled the room. Mimi pulled back, giggling at the sight of Roger's embarrassed face.

"Aw, you hungry, babe?" Mimi grinned.

"Well… yeah," Roger blushed. Mimi kissed his rough cheek and rolled out of bed, taking the blanket with her to wrap up her naked body.

"Come on. Let's see if we can find some breakfast." Roger smiled and followed his wife into the kitchen, not even bothering to grab his boxers from the floor. "Let's see." Mimi scanned through the contents of the cabinet. "We got half empty coffee bags, canned fruit, stale cereal, and…"

"Okay, I can take a hint," Roger chuckled, hugging her from behind. "We'll go grocery shopping today."

"Well, if you insi… Roger! Stop!" Mimi fell into a fit of giggles when Roger's hands started tickling her sides. Their laughter rang out as Mimi squirmed out of his hold and started running off, with Roger chasing after her and managing to catch up to her in front of the couch, pulling her to his chest, kissing her neck and shoulder.

At that moment, they heard a knock on the door, which slid open immediately afterward, giving the exposed Roger barely enough time to hide himself behind Mimi. Outside the Loft door stood Emily.

"Oh, you're up," Emily noted, eying their current situation. "I'm just coming by to tell you two that I have pancakes downstairs. You're free to join us, if you'd like. As soon as you get dressed, of course." With that, Emily slid the door closed again, but not before they could catch a glimpse of her amused grin. Roger and Mimi stayed where they were for a bit longer, with Roger resting his chin on Mimi's shoulder, the couple grinning and laughing quietly. Grocery shopping could wait until after breakfast.


	2. Visiting Loved Ones

"Mimi!" Roger knocked on the bathroom door. "Come on, baby! We're all waiting for you here!"

"Roger, don't rush me!" Mimi's voice responded. "I'll be out in just a moment." Roger sighed and looked back at the other Bohemians who were all waiting in the Loft for Mimi to be done in the bathroom. The dancer finally emerged three minutes later.

"Meems, I'm getting real worried about you," Roger frowned. "You've been spending an awful lot of time in the bathroom lately. You don't feel like you're getting sick or something, do you?"

"It's nothing, Roger," Mimi insisted. "I feel fine. Really. It must be just something I drank. That's all. I'll be able to control my peeing again soon, so just relax." At that moment, Emily made a rather strange noise behind them. Glancing over, they saw Emily was now giving Mimi a penetrating, calculating look. "What is it, Emily?" Mimi asked.

"Nothing." Emily shook her head. "Just…. Something you said made me think about… Forget it. It's not important." Mimi and Roger let it drop there, but Emily continued to cast wary glances over at Mimi.

"Well, now that Mimi's out of the bathroom," Joanne stated. "We can all get going." On that note, the Bohemians made their way out of the Loft.

* * *

Down at Marble Cemetery, the Bohemians were gathered at Angel's grave, paying their respects to their friend, each one placing a red rose at the base of the stone, with the exception of Emily, who had brought a white rose instead. While she hadn't known Angel personally, the others frequently told her the stories, and she was able to sympathize and relate to their loss. After a moment of meditation and silence, the friends slowly began to leave. But when Roger glanced back, he noticed Mark and Emily lagging behind.

"Hey, Mark, Emily," Roger called. "You two coming?"

"You go ahead, Roger," Mark waved, taking hold of Emily's hand. "I promised Emily I'd go with her to visit Zack. We'll catch up to you guys, later." Roger stayed where he was for a moment, watching his friends make their way to the other side of the cemetery, remembering how they'd all learned how Emily's beloved older brother, Zack, had been taken from her the same way they'd lost Angel. For the briefest moment, he wondered who would be the next one to go. Would it be Collins, Mimi, or even him?

The musician's thoughts were interrupted by the feel of a small hand taking hold of his own. He looked down and smiled instantly at the sight of Mimi's shining brown eyes.

"Come on, Roger," she beamed brightly. "The others are waiting."

"Yeah, okay. I'm coming," Roger relented, allowing her to lead him out of the cemetery.

* * *

"Hi, Zack," Emily smiled down at her brother's grave. "I hope you're enjoying yourself right now. Of course, how could you not? It's Heaven, after all. When you see Mom and Dad, tell them I'm doing alright, like always. Nana's doing fine, too, even though she's the same as always, completely wrapped up in her superstitions and omens. And Penny's going to be starting fifth grade soon. The funny thing is, I still sometimes picture her as that little newborn girl who entered my life ten years ago. Is that how you felt every time I started a new school year?

"I brought someone else to come visit you today. You remember how I told you about Mark on my last visit, right? Well, he said he wanted to come with me today, so he could talk to you, too." Emily looked back at Mark with a smile, stepping to the side so Mark could take her place in front of Zack's tombstone.

"Hello, Zack," Mark began. "Well, I'm sure that you're aware of me being your sister's boyfriend. And I know that it should be your job to be the protective older brother in matters like this. But I want you to know that I really love your sister, and I'd never do anything to hurt her. I promise you, Zack. You might not be around to protect her, but I'll do anything in my power to do that for you. And that goes double for being good enough for her. Yeah, I know that brothers usually feel that their little sister deserves the best. But in your sister's case, I really believe that's true." At Mark's concluding words, Emily stepped up to the grave, placing two roses at the bace of the gravestone.

"I love you, Big Brother," Emily smiled, patting the stone lovingly. "I'll come back and see you soon." With that, Emily and Mark walked off, hand-in-hand. As they walked, Emily brought her head down to rest on Mark's shoulder.

"Hey," she grinned up at him. "What ever made you think you weren't good enough, Mark? You seriously think I would settle for anyone I didn't find worth my time?"

"Well, you gotta admit you're too good for me."

"Oh, please. What gave you a silly idea like that?"

"Where do IT start? You're compassionate, caring, and put all your time and energy into making sure everyone else is okay, not giving a thought to yourself. You were like that when you worked at the Center, and you're like that now. I think you'd give up your left lung if any of us needed one."

"Well, maybe that's because you're my best friends, and before I met you guys, it was just me. Well, me and Penny, but you get the idea," Emily replied. "But you're much better then you're giving yourself credit for. For starters, you're loyal, always being there when it counts, even in the bad times, and you always know just what to say without being insincere. You're great with Penny, and she really likes you. You're sweet, and kind, and nice, and ... I just like being with you."

"Is that what you said to Karl?" Mark asked with a raised eyebrow. The mention of her ex-boyfriend made Emily roll her eyes.

"Listen, mister. Do I hold your history with Maureen over your head?"

"Okay, okay. Touché." Chuckling softly, they came together for a kiss.

"So, you think we should go and try to catch up with the others?" Emily asked. "I mean, before they hire a search party to come look for us."

"Yeah, suppose we should," Mark agreed, draping an arm around Emily and kissing her temple. "I love you."

"I love you, too. And just so you know," Emily grinned as they left the cemetery together. "I _never _took Karl with me to visit Zack. You're the first guy who I did that with."

* * *

**AN: **At the moment, it might seem like this story has no actual plot, but it will pick up very soon. I don't think I can update again until Saturday, because I forgot by plan outline at school. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying it so far, and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Until next time...


	3. Relationships Being Deepened

It was another typical day in the Loft. Mimi was sitting on the couch, half asleep. At that moment, a pair of hands started to gently massage her shoulders. Mimi opened her eyes and glanced up at Roger, who was standing behind her.

"Oh, babe, don't take this the wrong way," Mimi complained. "But why'd you have to disturb me? I was so tired."

"I'm sorry. I just thought you'd like it." The dancer's annoyance vanished at the sight of Roger looking upset at bothering her.

"It's okay, Roger. I've just been really tired lately."

"Mimi, are you sure you're not sick?"

"I don't feel sick. Just tired. Roger, please relax. I promise I'll go see a doctor if I still feel this way in a week, okay?" Further conversation was cut off when the Loft door slid open, allowing Mark to walk in, looking distracted about something.

"Hey, you doing okay, Mark?" Roger asked, noticing this.

"Yeah!" Mark replied a little too quickly. "I'm fine. Never better."

"Cohen, how long have we known each other? I think I'd know when something's bugging you. I told you that two months ago, after Emily's car accident, remember?" Mark paused for a moment, but then sighed heavily.

"Okay. I suppose I could ask for your opinion on this. After all, you two would be a good judge." Mark took a seat on the table positioned in front of the couch so he was facing Roger and Mimi. "Now, I just want your honest opinions on how this sounds, okay?"

"Sure," Roger agreed.

"Let's hear it," Mimi added. Mark took a deep breath before beginning.

"Listen, I know you and I have only technically been going out for two months now. But when you think about it, the purpose of dating is to get to know somebody. And before we started dating, we'd been friends for well over a year. And in that time, I've come to know you as an incredibly wonderful person. I love your compassion and your generosity. I love how you were able to just dive into this crazy family on that night of Maureen's disastrous attempt at that handcuff magic trick, and how you just took everything in stride. I love how you're never the one to judge others, no matter how badly they messed up. I love seeing you being a mother to Penny, and how you're always willing to make sacrifices for her. Most of all though, I love you." Mark took a breath for the second time and looked up at Roger and Mimi expectantly, waiting for their evaluation. Roger was looking right back at him, his eyebrows raised so high, they had disappeared behind his hair. Mimi, on the other hand, looked absolutely ecstatic.

"Oh, Mark!" she gaped. "Are you _serious_?!"

"Yeah," Mark nodded, grinning nervously. "I think I am." Mimi gave out an excited squeal and hugged her friend in delight.

"Mark, that's great!" she cried. "Do you have the ring?"

"Well, yeah," Mark took a box out of his pocket, showing his friends a diamond ring that had a golden rabbit posed in a leaping position over the stone. "Emily has a thing for rabbits, you know? Her favorite animal."

"How'd you ever afford this?"

"I swallowed my pride and asked my parents for a loan," Mark explained. "You remember how much my mom liked Emily when she visited. The rest I got from the ATM at the Food Emporium." As Mimi grinned at the sight of the ring, Mark glanced at Roger, who hadn't said a word since Mark had made his intentions known. Slowly, the musician's face broke into a smile.

"Way to go, Cohen," he grinned in approval. "So, when are you going to ask her?"

"Haven't quite figured that part out yet," Mark confessed. "But I don't want her to know about this until that time comes, so she can't get any hint."

"Can't get any hint of what?" The three friends turned to the door in shock. Mark hadn't closed the Loft door when he walked in, so there had been nothing to alert them that Emily had came in. Mimi quickly placed the box back into Mark's pocket, concealing her action from Emily as she stepped in, looking at her friends. "What are you three talking about in here?" Emily asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Emily," Mark assured, kissing her in greeting. "So, how was work?"

"Well, I had an interesting talk with one of my co-workers, today," Emily began, taking a seat next to Mimi on the couch. "I was telling him how my boyfriend is a filmmaker, and he told me about this festival event of some kind that takes place in a few months. People who make movies get together from all over the city to show off their work in a film competition. I thought you might want to go check it out, Mark."

"I don't know," Mark shook his head hesitantly.

"Oh, come on, Mark! You're a great filmmaker. I bet you'll be right up there with the best of them," Emily urged.

"You're just saying that 'cause you're my girlfriend."

"No, I'm saying that 'cause it's true. Roger, Mimi, back me up, here, will you?"

"Oh, just go for it, Mark," Roger lightly shoved his best friend. "Remember, I was hesitant about going to that band competition at Bar None. Look what happened then." Mark looked between his friends, who were all giving him supporting smiles.

"Well, I guess I could try," he relented.

"Knew you would say that," Emily pulled an entry form out of her bag. "That's why I brought this back with me. You just have to fill that out and come up with something that's brilliant. Of course, that shouldn't be too hard for you." Mark took the entry form, flattered yet apprehensive over how much faith she had in him, and how it would be displaced if he didn't do as good as she thought he would.

"I guess I should start looking for an idea, then," Mark decided, fetching his camera from his room. Roger glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Oh, sh-t. My band's meeting for a practice session in an hour. I gotta get going if I want to stop at the clinic for our AZT on the way. Meems, you wanna come?"

"Thanks, Roger," Mimi shook her head. "But I'm really tired. Maybe next time, okay, babe?"

"Roger, while you're out, could you take a short trip to the drug store for my insulin, since it's on your way?" Emily piped up. "I want to have a moment alone with Mimi. Girl talk, you know?"

"Sure. No problem," Roger nodded as he stepped out of the Loft with Mark.

"Mimi," Emily stood up from the couch the second the boys had left. "Get your coat. I'm taking you to see Dr. Jordan."

"Emily, I told you, I'm fine!" Mimi cried. "I wish you and Roger would stop babying me." Emily's expression grew unreadable for a moment, but then it became serious and concerned.

"Mimi, please. Just humor me, okay? It's just that… look, I just have a suspicion about something. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong. I just want to make sure, okay?" Mimi took a moment to study Emily's face, but gave in.

"Okay, you win. I'll go."

* * *

At Dr. Jordan's office, Emily and Mimi sat by, waiting for the doctor to come in. Emily was looking very serious about something, while Mimi was slouched in her seat, showing her reluctance to be here.

"Emily, would you _please _tell me what we're doing here?"

"I told you, Mimi. I have a suspicion I want confirmed." The two waited in silence once again until Dr. Jordan stepped in.

"Good afternoon, Miss Goodhall, Mrs. Davis," Dr. Jordan greeted. "What brings you here today?" Mimi was about to reply when Emily cut her off.

"It's about Mimi, here," Emily stated. "She's been experiencing some symptoms I've seen before. I think she should be tested for pregnancy."

* * *

**AN:** The next chapter will be up as soon as I complete the final scene, which will be soon. These next few chapters will all be cliffhangers, so expect them.  
In another story, the pictures from the Josh Groban concert are on my photobucket account, in the Misc folder. (Some didn't turn out so good, but I did my best) Anyway, the link's in my profile. I hope you enjoy them.


	4. News

"Are you crazy?" Mimi jumped to her feet. _"That's _why you brought me down here?"

"Mimi, calm down," Emily reasoned. "I said it was just a suspicion. I haven't been blind to what's been going on with you lately. You're constantly going to the bathroom, you're always tired ..."

"So?" Mimi snapped.

"So, that's…." Emily trailed off, looking slightly sad for a moment. When she began speaking again, it was with a remorseful tone. "Mimi, you're showing the same symptoms… that April experienced when she was at the Center." Whatever Mimi had been expecting, it wasn't that. She stood frozen, staring at her friend in shock.

"Maybe it's a coincidence. Who knows?" Emily continued. "I jut thought we should make sure. Okay?"

"I'm telling you, that isn't it," Mimi persisted. "Roger always used a condom."

"Dr. Jordan, how effective is the condom?"

"Up to 98 percent, when used properly."

"Just humor me, Mimi. If you're not pregnant, fine. But if you are, wouldn't it be better to find out now, and not when your belly starts growing? You've got nothing to loose by taking a precaution." It took a moment, but Mimi relented, and agreed to the test.

* * *

Maureen was racing down the street, wishing there was a way to effectively protest against time itself. She had been down in the park, having a fight with a hot dog vendor who wouldn't break a ten, when she remembered she'd promised Joanne she'd meet her outside the courthouse after her case let out, which happened in about fifteen minutes. As she dashed around the corner, she crashed into a girl with braces who'd been coming around the corner.

"Sh-t! I'm sorry!" Maureen cried. "I'm just really running late."

"It's no problem," the girl assured. "I wasn't watching… hey! You're Maureen!"

"You know me?"

"I was at that protest you did a few years back. The one about the cow? Told my dad about that one. He said he wouldn't mind having a meeting with you if he could."

"Listen, don't take this the wrong way," Maureen sighed, starting to continue down to the courthouse. "I'm glad you liked my protest, but I'm late meeting my partner. If you could stop at the Life Café sometime, we can continue this, whatever-your-name-is."

"It's Tara Baker."

"Whoa! Back up!" Maureen spun back around. "Baker? As in _Gary_ Baker? As in the producer of Broadway shows, Gary Baker?"

"As in my father, Gary Baker," the girl grinned. "And like I said, he'd love to have a meeting with you. Here, take this. Be sure to give him a call." Tara handed Maureen a business card. "Have a good day, Maureen."

Maureen stood frozen, looking at Gary Baker's business card for a moment, but then remembered Joanne and continued her mad dash to the courthouse. By the time she got there, she was five minutes late, resulting in meeting a rather annoyed Joanne.

"What's your excuse this time, Maureen?" Joanne sighed in exasperation as Maureen hunched over to catch her breath.

"Sorry, Jo. Really. But you won't believe what happened on the way down."

"Try me."

* * *

Back at the Loft, a stunned Mimi was seated at the metal table with Emily next to her, rubbing her back in comfort.

"How could this have…?" Mimi trailed off, too shocked to complete her sentence. "We were so careful."

"Doesn't really matter now, does it?" Emily asked, not unkindly. "The only thing you can do now is discuss things with Roger."

"He'll kill me."

"Don't be silly. Roger loves you. He'd _never _kill you. Besides, he can't deny he holds half of the blame in this. He _is_ the key-master, after all."

"How am I going to tell him?"

"Simple. Just sit him down and tell him straight out."

"And then what? Do we get an abor…?"

"No way. Keep me out of _that _conversation, Mimi. That's something you need to discuss with _Roger_, not me."

"But I'm asking _you_, Emily. You _know _the chances of passing on the virus when both of us are…"

"Mimi, listen to what I'm saying. I'm too biased in this subject. Don't forget, that's what my dad's father wanted my parents to do when Mom was carrying Zack. This is something you and Roger have to talk about alone." As if on cue, Roger returned home with his band mate, Robbie.

"Hey, baby," Roger smiled instantly upon seeing the girls at the table. He headed right over, kissing Mimi's temple in greeting. "You feeling better now? Remember, you promised you'd see a doctor if you don't start feeling better soon."

"That won't be necessary," Emily announced, casting a meaningful glance at Mimi. "We went down while you were gone."

"You did? Good." Roger smiled.

"Yo, Rog," Robbie imputed from the fridge. "Can I bum a beer?"

"Sure, man. Help yourself." As Robbie took a bottle of beer, Roger glanced back at Mimi. "So, Meems. What did the doctor say?" Mimi glanced over at Emily nervously, who nodded in encouragement. Just as Mimi was about to talk, the Loft door opened again and Mark came in, with Collins close behind him.

"Well, I filled out the entry form," Mark announced. "Now I just need to come up with something to show."

"I told you all the way back home, boy," Collins placed a supporting arm over Mark's shoulder. "You'll come up with something really soon."

"Yeah, but it took me a whole year to finish Today For U, and I only have a few months," Mark pointed out.

"Mark, we believe in you. You'll do just fine," Emily smiled in encouragement before turning back to Mimi. "Mimi, go ahead."

"Hey, is something wrong?" Roger frowned in concern, noticing Mimi's unease.

"Depends on your viewpoint," Emily replied vaguely.

"Rog, I'm…" Mimi spoke quietly. "Emily took me to see Dr. Jordan."

"Yeah, I got _that _part," Roger urged gently. "What did he say?" Mimi took a steadying breath.

"Roger…. I'm…" Before Mimi could finish, the Loft door opened for a third time. This time, Maureen and Joanne walked in.

"Big news! Big news!" Maureen cried out as everyone turned to the girls, except Emily, who threw her head back in exasperation from the second interruption.

"What's up, Maureen?" Collins asked.

"I was on my way to the courthouse to meet Joanne after her case," Maureen begin.

"And running late," Joanne added. Maureen continued, showing no sign she'd heard Joanne.

"Anyway, I ran into this girl who was at my protest against Benny's Cyber-studio a few years ago. Turns out, her father is the Broadway producer, Gary Baker. I have a meeting with him next week to talk about a career on Broadway!"

Instantly, the Bohemians, minus Emily and Mimi, all were offering congratulations to Maureen, and wishes of luck at her meeting. At that moment, the sound of glass shattering rang out. Looking back, everyone saw Mimi standing on her feet, looking furious. An empty beer bottle lay shattered against the wall she'd just thrown it at. Even Emily looked shocked at her actions.

"_Enough_ with the interruptions!" Mimi screamed. "I'm trying to tell my husband something that could change everyone's life here, and every time I'm about to say, someone interrupts! I can't take it anymore!"

"Mimi, it's okay! You have my attention now," Roger tried to calm her down, walking over and placing his hands on her shoulders. However, Mimi pulled away, looking extremely miffed.

"Fu-k it, Roger! What if it's _not _okay?! This is really big, all right?!"

"What's really big? Come on, baby. How bad could it…"

"Shut up, Roger! I'm pregnant!"

The silence that followed this announcement was deafening.

* * *

**AN:** You think this cliffie's bad? You're gonna hate me at the next one. Won't say more now. You'll just have to wait. There's serious drama coming, so prepare yourselves. Until next time...


	5. The Fall

The Bohemians all stood frozen at Mimi's bombshell until Robbie broke the silence.

"Okay, I _know_ there's somewhere else I gotta be. Be cool, Davis." With that, he was out the door.

"Mimi, are you _sure_?" Collins breathed in shock.

"Dr. Jordan did the test twice, just to be sure," Emily explained, watching the now-expectant couple warily. Roger had barely blinked sine he'd gotten the news.

"Roger, please say something," Mimi pleaded, her previous anger and frustration being replaced by worry from his silence. After a few more tense moments, Roger, very slowly, shook his head.

"You can't…." he whispered, a heavy note of fear in his tone. "No. You're not…"

"I know. It surprised me, too," Mimi sighed. "But I can't deny it. The tests proved it." For a half a minute, Roger opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, as if too stunned to form a simple sentence.

"Mimi, do you… do you have any idea… the chances that… we have _HIV_, Mimi."

"I know that," Mimi insisted. "That's why we have to talk about this.

"I can't," Roger began to back away. "I.. I just can't…"

"Roger, please! Just talk to me!"

"I… I gotta go." Without another word, Roger was heading out the door and climbing up the stairs to the roof. Mimi watched him walk off, looking like she's just been slapped, but then retreated into her room, looking close to tears. Joanne and Maureen immediately went in to comfort their friend. Mark moved to go after Roger, but Collins stopped him.

"Not this time, Mark. I'll go sort that boy out." Once Collins had gone after the brooding musician, Emily got up from the table.

"Um, Mark?" she spoke up. "I hope you'll forgive me, giving what just went on, but… there's something I need to take care of down in my apartment."

"Uh, sure, okay," Mark nodded, still slightly stunned. "No… no problem."

"I'll be back up soon," Emily promised, stepping out.

Down in her apartment, Emily immediately went to the phone, dialing a number.

"Hi, Dr. Jordan. It's me," she spoke into it. "Do you have a couple of minutes? There's something important I want to discuss with you."

* * *

Up on the roof, Roger stood looking down at the street, gripping the edge of the low-hanging wall bordering the roof so tightly, his knuckles were turning white.

"You really have to work on that walking off thing, boy," Collins scolded, coming up behind him.

"I had to get out of there," Roger replied simply.

"Why? So Mimi could be sitting in your room right now, crying?"

"She'd be crying _harder _if I didn't come up here, okay?" Roger snapped. "I had to get out of there before I said something I'd regret. I came out here so I'd be able to clear my head a bit. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to talk about this with Mimi without blowing up." Almost instantly, Roger's shoulders slumped in weariness. "I just couldn't make good decisions at that moment, Collins. And I still don't think I can."

"Care to explain?" Roger groaned inwardly at this. Typical Collins, playing psychiatrist.

"A kid," Roger smiled slightly. "It's something...I've always thought about having, you know? And the fact that it would be with Mimi made it even better. I love her so much, Collins."

"And the downside?" Collins prompted.

"We're both HIV positive. There's no way this kid will be born healthy. The thing about those kids Emily used to take care of when she worked at the Center; it was sad knowing that most of them would die before their tenth birthday. But if it was my kid… that would make it ten times worse.

Mimi and I are another story. If, by some miracle, the kid's healthy, we'll both die when it's still so young. He or she'll probably be orphaned before the fourth grade and shipped off to one of those institutions. I can't do that to my kid."

"First of all," Collins began to debate. "Who says that kid will be in an institution? Did you forget about Mark? Do you _seriously _believe he'd let that happen to his best friend's son or daughter?"

"No, I guess not," Roger gave into the anarchist's logic. "But there's still the matter of this kid getting AIDS from Mimi and me."

"If that happens," Collins shrugged. "If you decide to keep it and that does happen, you'll just have to teach him, or her, the lessons Angel taught us."

"So… you're thinking we should keep it?" Roger asked.

"That's yours and Mimi's choice, Rog," Collins shook his head. "But just think about this for a moment. You're the one always searching for your glory, for something to leave behind. Don't you think a child is better than any song?" After a brief pause, Roger's face broke into a genuine smile.

"Thanks, Collins," Roger nodded in gratitude, starting to head to the door. "I'm…going to talk to Mimi."

"Good," Collins chuckled, following Roger back inside. However, they were met with a worried looking Maureen.

"Guys, you gotta stop her!" she cried. "Mimi's going to head down to the clinic! Keeps saying how Roger doesn't want it!" In a flash, Roger was racing down the stairs, two at a time. He caught Mimi in the process of heading down the stairs.

"Mimi, wait!" he cried. Instantly, Mimi stopped and looked up at him. Roger felt a blow to his gut upon seeing the tearstains on her face.

"Mimi, you don't have to do this," he begged.

"It's not like you want this, Roger," Mimi whispered. "You made that clear already."

"No. It's not like that."

"It's for the best!" Mimi cried, her eyes over-bright, beginning to continue down the stairs. "You said it yourself. The chances of it being healthy, when we both have HIV…."

"Mimi, please!" The sound of Roger pleading made Mimi freeze and look back, resulting in her seeing the tears forming in his green eyes. "I… I _do _want this. I was just too stunned to think clearly before. Please, Mimi. We can give this life a chance, can't we? It's our kid, Meems. Yours and mine. Besides, no day but today, right? Isn't having a short life better then no life at all?" Mimi stood her ground for a moment, but then her face broke into a smile. She slowly turned and began making her way up to Roger.

And then it happened. The ancient stairs splintered and completely gave way under Mimi's weight, throwing her off balance. What occurred next seemed to happen in slow motion to Roger. Mimi began to fall backwards, and Roger made a valiant attempt at reaching her in time to catch her. Unfortunately, he arrived a second too late. Instead, he watched helplessly as she fell down the stairs, landing hard on the landing between the Loft and Emily's apartment. There she lay, without getting back up.

"MIMI!" Roger screamed, leaping down the rest of the stairs, gathering up her still form in his arms. "Mimi, come on! Oh, please, Meems! Don't do this to me!" Moments later, no doubt alerted by Roger's shout, Mark and Emily arrived on the scene.

"Oh, merciful heavens!" Emily gasped, seeing the situation.

"Fu-k, you two!" Roger bellowed. "Get an ambulance down here!"

"Hold tight, I already have Dr. Jordan on the phone!" Emily replied, dashing back to her apartment. Roger was too panicked and terrified to question why Emily had been speaking to the middle-aged doctor. All that mattered at this moment was the woman in his arms, who wasn't waking up.

"Oh, God, please," Roger whispered, holding Mimi tightly to him. "Don't do this to me again. You took April, you took Angel. Please, don't take her from me, too."

* * *

**AN:** Told you you'd hate me after this cliffhanger. The first chapter contains some foreshadowing to this, when Mark's thinking about the condition of the stairs. I'm working on the next chapter right now, so it may be up soon. Until then, I'll let you worry a bit. (Sorry, but I have to do that to you right now)


	6. A Loss and a Proposition

**AN:** There's going to be some technical talk in this chapter. Just a little heads up to my readers. Also, there's a few references to an earlier story, Babysitting in July. So, read on and enjoy

* * *

Roger paced the waiting room anxiously, waiting for someone to come out and tell him the news on his wife. His friends were all right there with them, but, to Roger, they might as well be miles away for all the good they could do right now. All they were able to do was try and convince him that Mimi and their unborn child was all right. How could they know, anyway? They weren't doctors. They didn't know sh-t!

As Roger stewed in his thoughts, Penny returned from a trip she'd taken to the bathroom.

"Did Dr. Jordan come and say how Mimi is, Mr. Roger?" The ten-year-old girl asked. Roger instantly rounded on her in fury.

"Yeah, he did!" Roger thundered. "That's why I'm still here pacing!"

"ROGER!" Mark stood up from his seat next to Emily, looking furious. "We get that you're upset, but that's no excuse to take it out on Penny! She's only ten, and she was just asking you a question!" Roger glared daggers at Mark, looking seconds from really exploding, but then his face deflated.

"I.. I'm sorry, Penny," Roger apologized solemnly. "Mark's right. That was uncalled for."

"It's okay, Mr. Roger," Penny smiled, walking right up to the musician and giving him a comforting hug. For a brief moment, Roger had a mental flashback to a time that seemed long ago, when he and Mimi babysat for Penny on the Fourth of July. Penny had hugged him back then, too, when she only came up to his navel. The little girl had grown a couple of inches since then. He started wondering about his unborn son or daughter, and what it would be like watching him, or her, growing before his eyes while he could.

"Mr. Davis!" Roger was yanked out of his thoughts by the sound of Dr. Jordan's voice. The middle-aged doctor was standing in the doorway of the waiting room, leaving Roger wondering how long he'd been standing there.

"Dr. Jordan, how's Mimi?" Roger quickly walked up to him. "Is she okay?"

"She's awake and doing fine." Dr. Jordan replied seriously. "She's asking for you." Roger cast a brief glace at his friends before following Dr. Jordan to Mimi's room. Like Dr. Jordan had said, Mimi was awake, and sitting up in bed.

"Oh, Mimi, baby," Roger breathed, moving to her side in a flash. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Mimi whispered faintly. Roger started to smile, but then took note of the torn look on her face.

"Mimi? Something's wrong, isn't there? Come on, baby. I'm here." Mimi slowly turned to face him. The second her eyes met his, she instantly collapsed against him, crying in torment. Roger hugged her as firmly but gently as he could, rubbing her back in small circles.

"Oh, Roger," Mimi sobbed. "It's…."

"Come on, Meems. What happened?"

"Roger, I… the baby, Roger!" Roger felt himself stiffen in foreboding. "I lost the baby!"

* * *

The Bohemians all sat dejected in Mimi's room. Roger was seated on Mimi's bed, holding her tightly, as if to protect her from harm. However, everyone knew the main harm had already been done. Mark noted the distant look in Roger's eyes. He had an idea what it was about. This was no doubt devastating to Mimi, but for Roger, this was, in fact, the second child that had been taken from him.

"Maybe it's better this way," Mimi broke the silence. "This way, our child wouldn't have to suffer. It wouldn't have to slowly die."

"Mimi, listen to me," Roger whispered, holding her tighter. "If there was some way… if there was a way we could get another chance at this, and have a child that was healthy and strong, and ours, I'd take it in a heartbeat."

"Would you?" Emily suddenly spoke up, looking at Roger with a strange look on her face. "If there was a way you two could have that, Roger, would you take that chance, no matter what it required?"

"Yes," Roger replied after a pause. "Of course. I just wish there _was _a way." Once again, the room fell into silence. But this time, Emily was the one who broke it.

"Actually, Roger," she began. "There _is _a way." This statement made everyone turn to the photographer in surprise. Emily, however, did not tear her eyes from Roger and Mimi. "It's the reason I was on the phone with Dr. Jordan before Mimi's fall. I was asking him about the ways an HIV positive couple could have a healthy baby. He told me of one method that could work. It's a fairly new technique, mind you, but it might just work. You see, it's only the bodily fluids that can transmit the virus. Like semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, things like that. But the sperm and egg alone are unaffected.

"Now, Dr. Jordan told me about this method that could be used. What they can do is take an egg from Mimi, fertilize it with Roger's sperm, and let it grow in this special artificial environment. Then, when the fertilized egg reaches a certain stage, they implant it into the uterus of a third party, a surrogate mother who isn't infected with the virus. The surrogate mother carries the baby for the full nine months, then gives birth to a child that, not only is an exact combination of Roger and Mimi's genetic information, but, more importantly, is HIV-free." This plan was digested by the Bohemians for a short moment until Mimi pointed out one problem.

"There's just one thing wrong with that idea, Emily," she stated quietly. "Roger and I are HIV positive ex-junkies who live in Alphabet City. Who would _possibly _want to be a surrogate mother for someone like us." The group of friends returned to their solemn state for a few seconds, but Emily's reply to Mimi's question effectively floored everyone.

"Me," she replied. Everyone once again turned to her in shock. "I volunteer to be your surrogate mother, if you're willing to try this method."

"Emily, are you _sure _about this?" Joanne asked in surprise.

"Yes, I am. I've been thinking it over this whole time, and I'm willing to try it. Believe me, I know the risks that are involved, the risks involved with anyone giving birth to a child. But, as Nana would say, one cannot refuse to eat just because there's a chance of being choked."

"Emily, we can't ask you to…" Roger began, but Emily cut him off.

"Roger, do you remember that one time you babysat for Penny on July fourth, when I had been called down to work at the last minute? I promised you and Mimi that I'd make it up to you both someday, somehow. Well, this is how I choose to repay you. By helping give _you _the chance at having a healthy baby of your own. I'm not forcing you to take the offer. It's an offer. Whether you take me up on it or not is up to you." For a moment, everyone was quiet.

"Emily, guys?" Roger finally spoke up. "Could you give Mimi and me a moment? We… we need to talk about this." The Bohemians respected Roger's wish and stepped out into the hall.

"Man, Emily," Collins gaped immediately. "That's some offer you've made."

"I know," Emily nodded. "But after everything that's happened to those two, don't you think they deserve something like this?"

"But what about you?" Maureen imputed. "Think about what could happen to…."

"I said I know all about the risks, Maureen. Haven't you been listening? For Roger and Mimi, I can take a few risks."

While the others all were talking with Emily about what she'd said in Mimi's room, Mark stood a short distance away, trying to digest what his girlfriend had just done. Sure, it was a very brave and generous offer, but what would happen if something went wrong? What would happen to Penny if Emily ended up losing her life in giving Roger and Mimi their healthy baby? And what would he do?

At that moment, Roger came out into the hall. He'd never looked more serious in his life.

"Emily? Are you _sure _you're willing to do that for us?" He asked

"I am," Emily replied without a second thought. Roger breathed deeply.

"Let's do it, then."

* * *

**AN:** Next chapter will be heavy on Mark/Emily. It may take a while before it's finished to my satisfaction. So until next time...


	7. To Keep Them Alive

**AN:** This is a major Mark/Emily chapter. I believe notEASYbeingGREEN and jumpOVERtheMOON, for starters, will _love_ this part. Enjoy.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Roger and Mimi had decided to accept Emily's offer of being the surrogate mother to their child. With Dr. Jordan's help, they went through all the necessary preparations and steps. But something else had been going on, lately. Since that night, Mark had been growing increasingly distant, and rarely spoke, putting all his time and energy into his filmmaking. This continued until one day, when Roger came back home from band practice. As always, Mark was hovered over his projector, working on his movie for the upcoming film competition.

"How's it going, Mark?" Roger asked. However, Mark continued working, showing no sign of hearing Roger. Getting a little annoyed by Mark's attitude, Roger tried a different approach. "Where's Mimi and Emily?"

"Mimi's gone down to the clinic with Emily," Mark finally spoke up shortly. "They're implanting the fertilized egg today." With that, Mark started editing some footage with jerky, rigid movements. That was all Roger could take.

"All right, that's it," Roger reprimanded. "This has gone on far enough, Cohen. What's your problem lately?

"I don't have a problem," Mark replied unconvincingly.

"Bullsh-t! You've been acting like an as- since Mimi's fall. I, for one, am getting sick of it."

"Well what do you expect!?" Mark finally blew up. "You and Mimi are getting everything you want now! The happy married couple with a baby! How often have you thought about what it might cost for you to get that, Roger? It's easy for _you _to be all happy and smiles about this! It's not _your_ girlfriend's life on the line! I ask you, did anyone ever ask how _I_ felt about all this?! Once again, I'm just the witness, watching everyone else live their lives, none of them stopping to consider mine, and how I might be losing someone I love." At that moment, Mark finally was able to properly decipher the expression on Roger's face. It wasn't an expression of guilt or sympathy. He was trying to get Mark to shut up and look behind him. The instant Mark turned around, he flinched. Emily and Mimi had returned from the clinic and were standing in the doorway.

"How… how long have you been standing there?" Mark asked numbly.

"Long enough, Mark," Emily replied. "Long enough." After a tense pause, Emily turned to Roger.

"Roger, do you think you and Mimi could take Wenceslas out for a walk for me?"

"Sure," Roger agreed, understanding that it was an excuse for her to get a private talk with Mark. "Come on, Mimi." The two left the Loft, closing the door behind them, leaving Mark and Emily alone.

"Mark?" The filmmaker cringed at Emily's patient tone. "If you were _that _upset about this, why didn't you come right out and tell me how you felt? Don't you think I'd have listened? Haven't we always tried to be honest with one another?"

"Oh, Emily. I know you have a point. It's just that…. It took me so long to realize how much I loved you. And… just the possibility that I could lose you…. It's bad enough that I'll have to watch Collins, Mimi and Roger die one day. But if I had to go through that with you…."

"I know, Mark. And that's one of the reasons I was so willing to do this."

"I don't understand."

"Mark, you and Roger have always had such a strong friendship, right up to the point of being brothers. And I know one day you'll have to…. Let's just say I know how painful it is to lose a brother. I lost Zack, remember? And I guess I just thought…. This will be your best friend's child, Mark. More then that, it'll be a way to keep Roger and Mimi alive, even after they're gone. If there was a child, you'd still have something of Roger, something much better then that old fender, or a leather jacket."

"That's why you…"

"Yes. They're my friends, too, Mark. I'll have to go through the pain and the loss one day, just like you. So I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure Roger and Mimi have the child they both want and deserve. Not _just _for Roger and Mimi, but for you, me, Maureen, Joanne and Penny as well. So even though our friends will be gone, a part of them will continue to live. That way, none of us will ever truly be alone. Not even you, Mark. You'd still have your best friend's child."

Mark felt his throat constrict. This was exactly the reason he loved Emily so much. She was always thinking about everyone else, and never herself. She was so willing to risk her life to help bring along this child, just so the others could keep a bit of Roger and Mimi living among them. And that was when he knew. He didn't have to rack his brains any more about the best time and place. It was here, and now.

"Emily, there's something… I've wanted to say for a while now."

"Well, Mark, if you have something to say, come right out and say it." Taking a calming breath, Mark took Emily's hand in his.

"Listen, I know you and I have only technically been going out for two months now. But when you think about it, the purpose of dating is to get to know somebody…."

* * *

Roger and Mimi returned from Wenceslas' walk a few hours later. As a result, they came back to find Mark and Emily asleep on the couch, with Mark's arm around Emily's shoulder and Emily's head resting on Mark's. Taking a spare blanket from the back of the chair, Roger went to cover his sleeping friends. In doing so, he caught a glimpse of the ring Mark had shown him and Mimi some time ago. This time, it resided on Emily's finger.

"Way to go, Cohen," he whispered, grinning in approval.

* * *

**AN:** Sadly, at this point, even though I have a basic plan in my head, I'm also trying to find places to insert filler chapters and new ideas. Thus, updates will be coming at a slower rate for a while. (On the positive side, I'm not leaving you with a cliffhanger) So, until next time...


	8. Sticking to Principles

Mark and Roger moved about the Loft, collecting things for the film festival that was being held that night. Mark paused for a moment holding the reel of film he'd made.

"Well, guess this is it," he sighed.

"You'll do fine, Mark." Emily assured from the couch, where she was sitting with Mimi, Penny taking a little nap next to them. The girls were looking at the most recent ultrasound of the baby that was now growing inside Emily. It was the one that showed that Roger and Mimi's child was a baby boy.

"What if it's not good enough to impress the people there?" Mark wondered out-loud, looking at his film reel.

"Don't start that again," Roger grinned.

"Mark, stop doubting yourself," Emily agreed. "I keep telling you. You're a great filmmaker. Whatever you got there, they'll love it. And I'll be right there with you." Mark smiled warmly at his friends and fiancée. They all had so much faith in him.

"I'm just glad you three will be there," Mark confessed. "With Maureen at that meeting with Gary Baker, Joanne off at the courthouse, and Collins getting that checkup at the clinic…."

"We wouldn't miss this for anything," Mimi stated. Mark's smile grew a little wider, and he stepped into his room to grab his scarf. When Mark came out of his room, however, his face fell slightly. Roger was standing by the open bathroom door while Mimi was crouched down next to Emily, holding back her hair and rubbing her back as the photographer emptied her stomach into the toilet. The morning sickness had apparently kicked in.

"Aw, Emily!" Mark groaned, crossing the room to her side. "You're not going to be able to come tonight, are you?"

"I'm so sorry, Mark," Emily whispered.

"Don't be sorry. I'm just going to have to stay with you."

"No!" Emily turned to look him straight in the eyes. "Please, Mark. Don't throw away this chance because of me. You get to that film festival. I'll be fine."

"I don't want to leave when you're not feeling well."

"Honestly, Mark. This is perfectly normal. It's nothing serious."

"Mark, you get going," Mimi insisted. "I'll stay with her while you're gone." Mark hesitated, looking at Emily, but she gave him an assuring smile which succeeded in convincing him.

"Okay, then. I'll bring you back a bag of pretzels. That's supposed to be good for morning sickness." Mark placed a kiss on Emily's forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Giving her one last smile, Mark left for the festival with Roger.

"Do you want anything, Emily?" Mimi asked once the boys had left.

"I don't suppose you have any juice on hand, do you?"

"Sure. I'll get that for you in a moment."

"Thanks, Mimi."

"_I_ should be the one thanking _you_, Emily. You didn't have to volunteer to go through all of this, but you did."

"It's the least I could do. You and Roger are two of my best friends, after all." The girls remained quiet on the subject for the rest of the night. Instead, they entertained themselves over apple juice, talking about how long it had been since they'd had a juice box.

* * *

It was hours later that Mark and Roger returned to the Loft. The dejected filmmaker dropped his coat and scarf onto the nearby chair.

"Mark! What's wrong?" Emily asked in concern, instantly noticing his distress. Instead of replying, Mark dropped down next to the couch, hanging his head.

"Roger, what happened?" Mimi turned to her husband, trying to figure things out.

"Well," Roger began, "we went to the festival, and Mark showed his footage. It _was _good, Mark. You gotta stop beating yourself up."

"What happened?" the girls pried.

"Well, it was looking rather good for us," Roger sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But then, some guy… he kinda showed a bunch of stuff from the Cat Scratch." Roger winced slightly, the way he always did when he thought about the place where Mimi used to work, before finishing the explanation. "Let's just say that a few of the judges were… frequents there. I don't think I need to explain what way they were swayed."

"I'm sorry. I let you down, Emily," Mark mumbled. "You were so sure I'd win, and now…"

"Oh, Mark, who cares about that?" Emily comforted. "At least you kept your integrity. It's better to loose one competition then loosing yourself. Besides, it's good that you did go with your principles." Without explaining further, Emily headed to the answering machine to play a message that had been recorded earlier that night.

"Hello. I hope I've managed to reach Mark Cohen. I've got the number from his entry form. My name is Patrick Green. I'm the head of _Redefining Pictures_." Mark's jaw dropped slightly. He'd heard of that group. They made a lot of documentaries and filmed quite a few local commercials. "I saw the footage that was shown at the festival. I really believe you have what I've been looking for. I was wondering if you'd be interested in a position. When you get this, would you call my secretary to arrange a time to meet? I look forward to talking with you."

Once the call ended, Mark was still frozen in place. _Redefining Pictures_? That wasn't _anything _like _Buzzline_. At this place, you had the liberty to take on the assignments you wanted, and could turn down anything that conflicted with your personal standards. It was like freelance, but with a paycheck involved.

"Well? Are you going to say something, or just stand there like a complete idiot?" Roger teased.

"This is real?" Mark finally spoke shakily, as if not daring to believe it. "This isn't a prank, it's really happening?"

"Mark, I don't think anyone would be that cruel, to bring your hopes up only to turn around and say it was all a joke," Mimi pointed out. After taking a brief second for it to sink in, Mark let out an exuberant cry, lifting Emily clean off her feet and twirling her around, laughing in excitement.

"Mark! Put me down, quick!" Emily cried suddenly. Once she'd been returned to the floor, she made a mad dash to the bathroom toilet. Grimacing in embarrassment, Mark took a place beside her, placing a gentle hand on her back as she bent over the toilet.

"Sorry, Emily. I forgot," he apologized once she'd finished.

"It's okay," Emily chuckled meekly. "I understand, this is big." Moaning softly, Emily rested her head against Mark's shoulder. "Good job, sweetie. I'm proud of you."

The two remained where they were for a long time, Emily slowly trying to calm her queasiness while Mark went between stroking her hair and rubbing her arm. From a respectful distance, Roger and Mimi stood by, watching, giving the couple their small moment.

* * *

**AN: **Redefining Pictures does not exist to my knowledge. It's a name I thought up while scanning around my desk. So please don't waste your time looking up a company that doesn't exist. (lol)


	9. The Drug Store

**AN:** This is a short chapter, and it might seem like just a filler, but it will be vital later on.

* * *

"Okay, Penny," Emily spoke to her daughter as they entered the drug store. "You go pick out a candy bar or something for after dinner tonight, and then head up to the checkout counter so I can pay for that at the same time as the insulin and vitamins." Penny obediently moved off to the candy isle while Emily made her way to the window to pick up her insulin, grabbing a box of the prenatal vitamins Dr. Jordan had recommended on the way. The fact that she was carrying Roger and Mimi's son was just starting to show now. As a result, Nana was constantly after her to stay off her feet and just relax. Emily made a mental note to take her advice right after this trip to the drug store. She was already feeling worn out, even though she'd only walked a block from her apartment.

As Emily took her things up to the checkout counter to get in line, a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Emily?" Turning, the photographer momentarily froze at the sight of Benny. The landlord looked slightly awkward at running into her, possibly because the last time they'd seen each other, his wife's dog had attacked Emily's pet potbellied pig, Wenceslas.

"How… how's Wenceslas?" Benny asked.

"He's doing okay. Thanks for asking," Emily replied, feeling just as awkward. "What brings you here?"

"I like coming here for a few things. Mouthwash and shaving cream, you know?" After a brief pause, Benny got the guts to get to what he really wanted to say. "Listen, Emily. I, um, heard about Mimi's accident a while ago. Is she all right?"

"Yes, she's fine. Just had a slight bump on the head, but…"

"But what?" Emily thought for a moment, wondering if she should explain what had been going on in the Bohemians' lives lately. There was always the possibility of Roger hitting the ceiling if he found out Emily had told Benny about it. She's been on the receiving end of Roger's temper before, and wasn't interested in having a second helping. But the concern on Benny's face managed to convince her to explain everything, from Mimi's pregnancy, to the fall, and how she lost the baby, leading Emily to volunteer to be Roger and Mimi' surrogate mother.

"Wow," Benny breathed when Emily was finished. "Yeah, I _thought _you were looking a little larger, but I didn't want to say anything. How far along…?"

"It's the fourth month now."

"Is that why you have the cane?"

"No. Actually, I was in a car accident half a year ago, and my leg got banged up real good. There's some lasting trauma in my leg muscles now, so I need the cane to get around. It's not that bad, truthfully, but it _does _make the climb up to the Loft a little more difficult."

Any further conversation was cut short when Penny came back with a Crunch bar in her hand.

"Well, I'll let you go pay for your things, Emily," Benny announced. "Allison's expecting me back home. Oh, and….thanks for filling me in on what's been going on with the others. I always wonder, since Mark and Roger haven't called me since they found Mimi after her time out on the street."

"You know how they are," Emily replied in understanding. "It takes them a while to forget past grievances."

"Yeah, I know. Take care of yourself, then." Benny left the drug store without another word.

* * *

**AN:**I finally think I broke through my writer's block. But this doesn't mean updates will be picking up. Class work's building up, now that the end of the school year's approaching, and I'm trying to register for a class that, according to the on-line registering program, I haven't satisfied the requirements, even though my adviser said I was cleared, due to transfer courses. Thus, I have to try and find time tomorrow to see if I can figure this out with him. (Man, I can't wait until this semester is all over)


	10. Father and Daughter Bonding

**AN: **I seem to recall Tina101 once stating that Penny needed a daddy. This filler chapter, therefore, is dedicated to her. Enjoy.

* * *

Maureen and Joanne sat on the bench on Tompkins Square Park, enjoying the crisp November afternoon while Maureen was going over some of her scripted lines, preparing for her first-ever appearance on Broadway. As they sat, Joanne happened to glance over, catching sight of two familiar faces. Over at the nearby playground, Mark was standing by, watching Penny playing with a couple of kids.

"Mark!" Joanne waved him over. "I didn't know you two were coming here today."

"Yeah, well," Mark shrugged with a small smile. "It was just a nice day for November."

"Where's Emily?" Maureen looked around for the photographer.

"Back at her apartment. She insisted on us getting out for a bit, since Nana would be stopping by to give her an earful of some of her famous superstitious advice to ensure the health of Roger and Mimi's son. She didn't want to have us to face that. Besides, I suppose it would be nice for," Mark paused for a moment, smiling over at Penny, who was now on the swings, "you know, some… future-father, future-daughter bonding."

"I still can't quite believe it," Joanne beamed. "You and Emily."

"Sure took you two long enough," Maureen chimed in. "Have you discussed the date yet?"

"We both agreed to concentrate on this baby first," Mark explained. "Once he's born, we'll start planning. Doing both at once would make things too jumbled.

"Hey, listen, you two. It's probably really good I ran into you today. You see, with Emily occupied with being Roger and Mimi's surrogate mother, it probably would be too much to ask to expect her to prepare something for Thanksgiving, like she did last year. I was thinking _we _should do the job for her this year. Roger and Mimi already volunteered to get the potatoes and cranberry sauce, Collins is bringing some stuffing, and my mom's going to send some pies. Can we count on you for the turkey, and Collins' Tofurky?"

"Sure, Mark," Joanne agreed. "But does Emily know you've planned this?"

"Actually, I was hoping to surprise her. I called up Officer Kurtz, and he agreed to get her out of the Loft for a few hours so we can prepare the meal. Officer Kurtz's wife, Beverly, said she would be more then happy to spend a little time with her. It's probably good for Emily, too. Beverly's the only person we know around here who's carried a child before, so she'll be able to help give words of experience."

"Good point," Joanne noted.

"Now, whatever you do," Mark warned. "Don't let Emily know about this. I want it to be a surprise." Maureen quickly became aware that Joanne and Mark were both looking at her.

"What?" she huffed. "What are you looking at _me _for? You think _I'd_ blab?"

"Honey, don't take this the wrong way," Joanne shook her head.

"We've _both _dated you, Maureen," Mark pointed out. "We both know you." Maureen slouched back on the bench, sulking at the dual accusation that she couldn't keep a secret. Okay, so she accidentally let slip to Roger once about the surprise party they had planned for his twenty second birthday. So she made the mistake of telling Joanne's parents about a dinner with Maureen's parents they'd hadn't gotten invited to. That didn't mean she couldn't keep a secret, though.

"Well, Penny and I should get going," Mark announced. "Thanks for helping out, you two." Waving goodbye, Mark returned to the playground to collect Penny, who took his hand as they went off together.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Mark asked.

"Can we go see the aquarium?" Penny suggested hopefully. The filmmaker smiled down at his future stepdaughter, ruffling her hair the way Emily always did.

"Of course. We just need to make a quick stop to the ATM at the Food Emporium, and then we'll go." From the park bench, Joanne watched the pair go off while Maureen went back to her lines, smiling at how being a father figure to Penny seemed to come naturally to Mark.


	11. Christmas Moments

**AN: **This chapter is probably extremely sappy, but I do believe notEASYbeingGREEN asked for 'lotsa Mark/Emily', and I'm always happy to satisfy my readers. So, I hope this meets the approval of Mark/Emily fans.

* * *

Christmas had once again come to the Loft. Maureen, Joanne and Collins had been over in the Loft the whole day, playing little games, including one that involved each Bohemian telling about their favorite Christmas, or Hanukkah in Mark's case. During the celebrations, Emily let out a low, grunting moan.

"Hey!" Mark spoke up, immediately taking her hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Emily smiled gingerly, placing her free hand on her stomach which had grown to a healthy sixth-month-round. "But I think Baby Davis is training for the World Cup in there." Hearing this Roger dropped his eyes to Emily's bump, looking torn for a moment. Noticing this, Emily laughed. "You know, Roger, I don't bite. You and Mimi can feel if you want. It's _your _son, after all." Roger chuckled as he and Mimi got up from the chair they'd been cuddling on. Their son! No matter how many times he heard those words, it still gave him the same feeling of stunned joy.

Placing his hand on Emily's belly, he immediately felt the slight movement.

"Whoa," the musician laughed. "That is so… weird. But good weird."

"I don't think I can wait another three months to hold him," Mimi added, smiling widely.

Sometime later, Penny, who had been on the floor going through her presents, started yawning.

"No wonder you're tired," Collins noted, looking up at the clock. "It's almost eleven."

"Come on, Penny," Emily smiled, pulling up from the couch with some difficulty. "Let's get you into bed."

"Night, everyone," Penny waved sleepily. They made their way downstairs to Emily's apartment. Once the little girl had been tucked in, Emily took a seat on her bed to change into her new maternity nightgown. As she started to pull of her shirt, the creak of a floorboard made her look up.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mark apologized, coming into view. "I just wanted to make sure you made it down alright." His concern brought a small smile to Emily's face.

"Thanks for the thought. I appreciate it." Once again, Emily grunted slightly as the baby started kicking. Mark glanced down at Emily's swollen abdomen, which was partially exposed from her shirt riding up a bit.

"Do you want a bit of help changing?" Mark asked, knowing she'd probably decline, but still wanting to offer anyway. "I promise I won't look or anything, if…."

"Thanks, Mark. But you don't have to worry about that. We're going to be married once this baby's born, after all." That was not a response Mark expected. Emily had always been so upright and proper. She had even told them at one point that she got uncomfortable changing in front of Wenceslas.

"Are you sure?" Mark hesitated, wondering if her response was just a result of hormones. "I thought you…."

"In case you haven't noticed, Mark," Emily smiled in assurance. "A lot has changed since we first met. You shouldn't be too surprised that our friends' influence led me to lower a few limitations, here and there." These words, and Emily's smile were enough to convince Mark that the help was really welcome. Taking a seat on the bed next to her, he helped her remove her shirt before carefully unhooking her bra from the back. In doing so, he was able to get a glimpse of her swollen breasts.

"Are they still tender?" Mark asked, out of curiosity.

"Yeah. But you get used to it. Besides, Beverly says it doesn't last forever." Nodding, Mark took hold of Emily's nightgown, and pulled it over her head for her, then proceeded to help remove her jeans. Once he finished helping Emily change, he pulled the covers of her bed over her, tucking her in.

"Is there anything else you need?" Mark asked. "I could grab a few extra pillows from the Loft if you like."

"Thank you, Mark. But I'm all right."

"Okay, then," Mark bent to kiss her goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Sweet dreams." Mark began to move out of the apartment.

"Mark?" Emily called, stopping the filmmaker. "I know you don't really celebrate Christmas, since you're Jewish, but I saw something in town a while back, and just couldn't help myself. There's something for you on the table, next to my Nikon." Sure enough, there was a small, rather lumpy present sitting where Emily said it was. Taking it, Mark took a seat on the edge of Emily's bed so he could open it with her. Inside, there was a navy beret, with two white stripes around the rim.

"It matches your scarf," Emily pointed out. "I figured, since you're a full-fledged filmmaker now, making documentaries for a film industry, you'll need one of those fancy hats those old-time movie directors wear." Mark fingered the beret, momentarily speechless.

"Thank you, Emily," he finally grinned. "I love it."

"I hoped you would." Mark got up off the bed, smiling at the photographer.

"Wait here," Mark instructed. "I'll be back in a moment." True to his word, Mark was back in about five minutes, his projector in tow. "I'd been looking for an excuse to show you this." He explained, setting it up. "It's… the movie I showed at the film competition you missed because of your morning sickness. I want you to have it, as a Christmas present."

"If it was made by you, then I'm sure I'll love it." Emily grinned. Blushing from the praise, Mark turned the projector on, and took a seat on the bed next to Emily.

The image of the title 'Cricket: A Fighting Spirit' soon flickered to life on the wall. What followed was a montage of events, starting with the day Emily had successfully adopted Penny, when Emily had surprised Mark by taking a picture of him filming her and Penny outside the Life Café. The movie continued to show moments of Emily's life with the Bohemians, from the previous-to-last Thanksgiving, when she was chasing Maureen and Collins out of the kitchen, where they had been 'sampling' the rye bread dip before it was ready for serving, with a wooden gravy-stained spoon, to Emily taking pictures of the sunset on the trip they had taken to Texas almost a year ago, to Emily hanging around the Loft with the other Bohemians, laughing about something Roger had said, with Penny at her side and Wenceslas on her lap, to one of her physical therapy sessions following her car accident. The final shot had apparently been filmed by one of the other Bohemians, since it featured Mark sitting on a park bench with his arm over Emily's shoulder, the two goofing around and feeding each other popcorn from a local convenience store. Once the film had ended, Mark risked a glance at Emily to gauge her reaction. In doing so, he saw she was close to tears.

"Mark, that was…." she whispered. "Thank you. That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."

"You like it?"

"Of course! You made it, so how could I not?" Emily leaned over to kiss Mark's cheek. "I love you, Mark."

"I love you, too." Smiling in contentment, the two sat silently for quite some time, just enjoying being together on their first Christmas as an official couple, while a light snow fell outside.

"Merry Christmas, Cricket," Mark whispered, holding her closer.

"Happy Hanukkah, Mark, sweetie."

* * *

**AN: **Once again, special mention to notEASYbeingGREEN, who gave me the idea of what Mark's movie would be about. The next chapter will jump ahead a bit. Just a little heads up. There probably won't be any new chapters this weekend. I'm going out of town for a Christian thing, and, while I'm bringing my computer, I don't know if the hotel we're staying in has wireless internet service. So, until next time...


	12. Penny's Diary Excerpt

**AN: **Extremely super short chapter. To make up for it, I'm posting the next chapter at the same time.

* * *

Excerpt from Penny's Diary

February 26th, 1993

Mom is getting really close to the due date. There's only a few weeks to go, so she's spending a lot of time at her birthing class. When she's home, Nana and Mark are making sure she's taking it easy.

Speaking of Mark, he's over here all the time now, only returning to the Loft to shower and stuff. He spends all his nights on the sofa, just in case Mom needs something during the night. Also, he doesn't like Mom going out for more then five minutes, especially if she's alone, saying she shouldn't strain herself. Last week, in fact, Auntie Maureen made her first ever appearance in a Broadway show, and Mom got really upset when Mark wouldn't let her go. Yesterday, however, Mark made it up to her by getting everyone over for the entire day for a Loft party. Uncle Collins even brought a pizza, a few movies, and some board games. (Mom wouldn't let him in until she was convinced that he didn't bring any PG-13 or R-rated movies, since I can't watch them for another three or nine years.)

Auntie Maureen, Aunt Joanne and I got to look though the ultrasounds together while Mark hung around with Uncle Collins and Roger, and Mom and Mimi went through a baby catalog, looking at baby clothes. Mimi kept circling unisex things, saying there was no way her baby would 'be made to suffer the torment of gender roles being enforced when he's too young to say "no".' After that, we started suggesting names for the baby. Auntie Maureen, probably as a joke (or maybe not), recommend the name Cleon, which apparently means fame and glory. Roger announced that no son of his was going to have a name that would get his underpants waving up on a school's flagpole. Before everyone went home at night, Auntie Maureen tried to do karaoke to Bohemian Rhapsody, using a lamp as a homemade spotlight, but ended up throwing the microphone at Roger when he wouldn't stop doing shadow puppets.

I can't wait for the baby to be born. It'll be like having a baby brother, and I won't be the youngest anymore. It's never easy being the little kid in the family.


	13. Against Reasonable Logic

Collins stood in front of Angel's grave, speaking softly to the stone.

"I miss you, Angel. We all do," he said. "I know that you're still watching over us, but I still wish I could just see you, the way I know you can see me all the time from Heaven. And I hope you know how much I'll always love you."

"I'm sure she knows," a familiar voice spoke kindly.

"Emily!" Collins turned to face the photographer, who was most clearly in the ninth month. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to go visit Zack," Emily said simply. "I saw you over here, and decided to come over."

"Does Mark know you're here?" Collins asked with a raised eyebrow. "You know that boy doesn't want to see you exert yourself at this point."

"I left him a note while he was in the shower," Emily shrugged. "I just wanted to get out for a bit. Besides, it's not like I walked. Uncle Kevin drove me. He's waiting by the gate." Emily glanced down at Angel's grave. "And… I suppose running into you is killing two birds with one stone, if you pardon the morbid nature of the phrase. I wanted a chance to talk to _her_, too. If it's all right, of course. I don't want to interrupt your private moment with her."

"No, it's all right," Collins smiled warmly, hugging his friend while carefully minding her large belly. Emily took a step forward to face Angel's grave.

"Good morning, Angel. Like Collins was saying, the others miss you very much. But you're probably looking down on them every day. And as you can see," Emily paused to gesture to her swollen abdomen, "it won't be too much longer before you have one more person to watch over. And ... I have to say, it's rather unfair that you won't get to be here for Roger and Mimi's baby being born. I know Mimi was your best friend, and it should be everyone's right, being there for your best friend at all her most special moments. But at least you're up in Heaven, so you can see all those special days from the greatest seat there is. And, as for Baby Davis, I can promise you that, when the day comes for Roger and Mimi come up and join you, the others and I will make sure their son never forgets his parents, and learns all about you. Although, Mark, Maureen and Joanne would have to play a bigger role then me in that second part, if you know what I mean." Collins bit back a chuckle, placing a friendly arm around Emily for a half hug, before placing a rose at the base of Angel's grave.

"Come on, Emily," Collins instructed after he finished his goodbye to Angel. "We better get you back to the Loft. Mark'll have a conniption if you're gone too long. Emily started to follow, but stopped, letting out a sudden gasp, grasping onto Angel's gravestone and bending over slightly. "Emily?! What's wrong, girl?" Collins moved to his friend's side in worry.

"Oh!" she breathed, eyes wide with shocked surprise, a hand over her belly. "That was _so _not a kick!"

* * *

"All right, guys," Roger turned to his band mates. "Let's take five." The group got up to stretch and grab some beer, taking a break from their practicing. Roger made his way to Mimi, who'd been watching the rehearsal from a nearby table.

"What do you think, baby?" Roger grinned, kissing her quickly but lovingly.

"You were amazing, Rog," Mimi replied, returning the kiss.

"You know," Roger lowered his voice to a husky whisper, "after practice ends, I think I'll have a few hours free."

"Oh, really?" Mimi purred, rubbing her hips against his playfully. "What did you have in mind?" Roger grinned deviously, but before they could kiss again…

"Roger! Mimi!" Collins suddenly appeared, hurrying up with a serious look on his face. "Guys, I…" Collins panted, trying to catch his breath. He'd clearly been running.

"Collins, what's wrong?" Mimi frowned, growing uneasy from his friend's urgent expression.

"You two have to get over to St. Vincent's. It's Emily." Roger and Mimi both paled instantly.

"What happened, Thomas?" Roger spoke urgently.

"Just hurry down there. Mark's already gotten there by now, and Officer Kurtz is contacting Nana and going down to get Penny at her school. Now hurry! I have to go find Maureen and Joanne, too!" Instantly, Roger and Mimi were hurrying out the door, holding tightly to the other's hand.

* * *

At St. Vincent's, Roger led the way to the reception desk, Mimi close behind him.

"Please," Roger gasped to the lady behind the desk. "What room is Emily Goodhall in?"

"Goodhall?" The lady glanced down at a memo that had been taped to the computer. "I assume _you're_ the Davis family?"

"Yes. What room is our friend in?" Roger was starting to get impatient. What had happened? What was wrong? He couldn't loose his son. Not now. He couldn't take loosing a third child. There would be no way he could….

"Mr. Davis," the receptionist spoke seriously. "Please hold on one moment. I have to page Dr. Jordan so he can escort you." Roger breathed heavily in frustration. Mimi, who'd been too stunned to say anything before, hugged him from behind. Instantly, Roger had turned to return the embrace, rubbing her arms in an attempt to comfort both their nerves. After a lengthy five minutes, Dr. Jordan had arrived.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Davis," the doctor nodded in greeting. "Please, come this way. Roger and Mimi followed Dr. Jordan through the hospital until he stopped outside a room. "Go on in. Just keep your voices down. Miss Goodhall's had a trying day." Holding on to each other's hands tightly, Roger and Mimi stepped in. Emily was asleep on the hospital bed, breathing evenly, her hair wet from sweat. For a moment, the couple stood in silence before a voice spoke up.

"Hey, Roger, Mimi." Turning, they saw Mark sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, looking up at them. In his arms was a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. Mark's face broke into a smile as he got up from the chair. "Don't just stand there. Come and say 'hello' to your son."

After a brief pause, Mimi moved forward, taking the newborn baby from the filmmaker. Once the baby was in her arms, Mark turned to Roger, who was hovering between shock and joy. A moment later, Roger flashed a grin at Mark, and the two shared a brotherly hug.

"Oh, Roger," Mimi whispered, gazing at their infant son. "Look at him!" Roger joined Mimi with a shaky smile, and just stared at the sleeping baby. Slowly, Roger placed a gentle hand on the baby's head, where the beginning of a small patch of dirty blond hair was growing. At the touch, the baby shifted slightly and opened his eyes, revealing them to be a chocolate brown. His mother's eyes.

Roger's smile stretched so widely, he was surprised his face didn't break. He managed to tear his eyes from his son to gaze at Mimi, who was looking back at him with an identical smile. From the seat by Emily's bed, Mark watched the new parents kiss in happiness, remaining quiet while holding his sleeping fiancée's hand, allowing his friends to cherish this moment, one that all reasonable logic had said should have been lost to them the moment the virus entered their bodies.

* * *

**AN:** Baby Davis is born! Yay! Feedback is appreciated. Until next time...


	14. Angelic Inspiration

**AN:** The moment has come: the revealing of Baby Davis' name. I've been racking my brains for a way to do justice to one particular scene, and hope I succeeded.

* * *

"You look awful!" Maureen announced untactfully the moment she entered the hospital room with Joanne and Collins. Emily, who was now awake and enjoying the company of Mark, Penny, Nana, Roger and Mimi, cast the drama queen a withering look.

"_You_ try squeezing something the size of a watermelon through an opening the size of a lemon. Let's see how good you look _then_," she quipped.

"So," Collins turned to smile at Roger and Mimi, who were standing by the bed. "Where's the newest family member?" Roger stepped forward to show off his son, who turned his brown eyes to the anarchist.

"Well look at that. He's even got your chin, Rog," Collins beamed, holding out a finger to tickle the cleft in the baby's chin. The little baby cooed for a moment, then started following the movement of the finger with clear fascination. A bittersweet smile stretched across Collins' face. "Angel would have loved to see this day." The Bohemians all stood by, sharing a brief moment of silence, which was broken when Dr. Jordan returned in order to take the newborn for some standardized tests.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Joanne asked.

"Uh… no…not yet," Roger confessed. "I mean, come on! It's still sinking in, here. I'm actually a _dad_."

"It'll come to you," Nana assured. "When the right name comes, you'll know. Emily's parents, for instance, took almost a week before they settled on her name."

"Hey, guys?" Mark interrupted, gently brushing some hair from Emily's face. "Could you try keeping it down a bit?" Looking over, the others noticed that Emily had drifted off to sleep again.

"Okay, everyone," Nana announced, herding everyone out of the room. "Give the girl her rest." Soon, the room was empty, except for Mark, who remained at Emily's bedside.

"Get your strength back soon, my love," he whispered. "Remember, we have a wedding to plan."

* * *

Collins walked down the hall with Roger and Mimi. The others had gone off to the cafeteria for dinner, but the trio wanted to see the baby again before they ate. As they moved down the hall, they passed two of the staff members. One of them was talking rather urgently.

"I don't know how he got in!" he was saying. "I just know that there is a strange man inside the nursery! I tried to tell him to leave, but he just looked at me and smiled!"

Collins, Roger, and Mimi all looked at each other in concern. The nursery was where the new baby was. Without a moment's hesitation, they started hurrying down the hall, ignoring the numerous scolding from old nurses for running into the hospital. Roger was the first to arrive at the nursery window. What he saw effectively made his heart skip a beat. There was indeed a man inside the nursery, looking at Roger and Mimi's son. But it was nothing to be concerned about at all. Quickly, Roger held out a hand toward Collins and Mimi, gesturing that it was all right. The two friends followed Roger's glance to the intruding stranger, and both were likewise floored at what they saw.

The man that was hovering over the baby had short cropped hair, and was dressed in faded jeans and a red jacket. As the trio watched, the figure reached out a hand that sported nails colored in metallic blue nail polish and gently stroked the baby's hair before placing a kiss on his tiny forehead. It was Collins who found his voice first.

"Angel," he whispered. As if he'd heard his lover's voice, Angel glanced up at Collins, Roger and Mimi and smiled warmly before disappearing from sight. Moments after the apparition had vanished, tears of multiple emotions began falling from Mimi's eyes. Instantly, Roger had pulled her into a loving embrace, yanking Collins into the hug soon afterward. All the Bohemians had officially seen the new arrival.

"Roger," Mimi whispered after a lengthy pause. "I know." The dancer paused for a moment, letting her husband and friend look at her in slight confusion for a moment. "I know what I want to call our son. It came to me the moment we saw her. I think… Angel suggested it." A choked laugh sprung from Roger's throat.

"Well, if Angel came up with it," the musician smiled softly, holding Mimi closer, "who am I to argue?"

* * *

"There you are," Dr. Jordan passed the completed birth certificate back to Roger and Mimi. "You will be allowed to bring him home after he's discharged in two days. It's hospital policy. I hope you understand."

"Thanks for everything, Dr. Jordan," Roger shook the middle aged doctor's hand, before leaving the office. Smiling in happiness with an arm wrapped around Mimi's waist, he glanced down at their son's birth certificate, reading the words that had been written on the top of the form.

_'Child's Name: Rodolfo Angelo Davis'_

* * *

**AN: **What do you think? Who can spot the significance of the name? Until next time...


	15. An Old Friend's Offer

**AN: **This chapter opens with a visit to Life Support meetings. It's sort of just thrown in there, but I wanted to show that they still go to Life Support, and the meetings are important in the show/movie, so I figured I should include it in this final concluding story.

* * *

Inside the Ryder Community Center, Paul took his seat in one of the chairs that had been arranged in a small circle, looking around at the people who had showed up for Life Support. There were a few familiar faces remaining, but he was always pleased to see people he didn't recognize.

Just before he could begin the meeting, someone knocked on one of the open wooden doors that led into the room. Glancing over, he smiled at seeing some of the longest-standing members of Life Support, Collins, Roger, and Mimi, with Mark and the girl they called Emily, who'd been showing up to sit with Mark during the meetings since last year.

"Sorry for being late, Paul," Roger greeted the leader of Life Support. "But if it's all right with you, Mimi and I were hoping to start this meeting with an introduction."

"You know we always welcome new faces, Roger," Paul agreed. A wide smile appeared on Roger's face as he lead Mimi forward before removing the small baby from the baby basket she's been carrying.

"Everyone," Roger announced holding the brown-eyed baby boy up for everyone to see. "Mimi and I'd like you to meet our son, Rodolfo. He just came home from the hospital last week." After the rounds of congratulations to the new parents, and the present women fawning over the infant, the meeting began. With the presence of Rodolfo, who remained surprisingly quiet for a week-old baby throughout the Life Support meeting, the newcomers to the meeting were more at ease. After all, it was harder for people to be nervous about opening up with a baby around.

* * *

Once again, it was a peaceful afternoon at the Loft, shortly past lunch. Roger and Mimi were perched on the windowsill, having some bonding time with Rodolfo, looking to the world like the ideal model family, while on the couch, Mark was having a short nap, resting his head on Emily's lap and allowing her to lightly run her fingers through his short hair. All four of them knew, however, that this moment wouldn't last long. Joanne would be stopping by shortly to help them go about the serious and morbid task of filling out the legal documents that would make Mark and Emily the legal guardians of Rodolfo, who would receive custody of the boy on the event of Roger and Mimi's deaths. Not one of them was looking forward to thinking about the matter, but they still knew it had to be taken care off now, when both Roger and Mimi were still healthy, apart from the virus.

All too soon, someone was knocking on the Loft door. Sighing, Mimi passed Rodolfo to Roger before going over to slide the door open. However, it was not Joanne standing there.

"Benny!" she cried in surprise. Instantly, Roger was on his feet, and Mark had snapped awake fully.

"What are you _doing _here?" Mark asked. Benny bowed his head for a moment, looking awkward.

"Listen, guys. Could I come in for a moment? I have to talk with you about something serious."

"You'll get your rent, Benny, so don't start…." Roger started to speak, but Benny interrupted him.

"This isn't about the rent. In fact, that won't be an issue any longer. I'm sorry, but all of you are going to have to vacate within three months."

"You're throwing us out again?!" Mark cried, irked.

"Mark, it's not like…."

"Don't waste your breath, Mark," Roger growled. "He just wants another chance to build that stupid Cyber Studio."

"Roger, will you just…?"

"Or maybe, _Muffy _put him up to it. Her little lap dog would jump through a hoop for…"

"Roger, it was not _my _choice!" Benny raised his voice.

"Oh, yeah," Roger rolled his eyes. _"Sure_, it wasn't…"

"It was the choice of the board of housing and safety inspectors!" Benny shouted over Roger. The silence that followed was marred only by the crying of Rodolfo, who Mimi was trying to calm.

"What?" Roger blinked, now much calmer but still confused.

"They heard about Mimi's accident," Benny explained. "They ended up voting that this place is no longer safe for people to live in. It's been scheduled to be condemned, and possibly torn down."

"But what about us?" Mimi asked in worry. "We don't have anywhere else to go, and it will take time to find somewhere …"

"I took care of it," Benny announced, taking out a document and passing it to Mark.

"What is it?" Mark asked suspiciously.

"It's a deed for an apartment. One that would be yours. To own, not rent. Three bedrooms, three bath."

"That's not an apartment, that's a _condo_!" Emily cried in shock. "Even if all four of us pool our paychecks and gig money, it'll take _years _to afford that!"

"I said before. I took care of it," Benny insisted. "Think of it as a combination of a belated wedding gift for Roger and Mimi and an engagement present for Mark and Emily."

"You think we'll just leave the Loft?" Roger whispered incredulously. "This is where Mark and I have lived since we came to the city. It's where I met Mimi for the first time. The number of happy times we've had up here…. Unlike you, Ben, I'm not one to just abandon a place that has so many memories."

"And are you willing to risk the safety of your family for the sake of memories?" Benny challenged. "What would happen if Mimi had _another _fall? Or your son manages to wander out onto the fire escape when your back is turned for just a moment?" This reasoning left Roger momentarily speechless, giving Benny a chance to continue. "Just think about it for a moment. You won't have to pay rent again. You can live in a place where the heat and water always works. It's the ideal place to raise an infant son, and ten year old daughter, in your friends' case. And then there's the matter of Emily."

"What about Emily?" Mark defended.

"This apartment is in a building with elevators. It would make things a great deal easier for her, what with her… slight handicap." Benny gestured slightly to Emily's bad leg and cane. "She told me that her leg makes it harder for her to climb up the stairs."

"Yeah, um…" Emily confessed. "I _might _have mentioned something about that in passing."

"I'm not trying to kick you out, Benny concluded, hoping the four Bohemians would believe him. "But the fact remains that this place has been deemed unsafe to live in, and they might knock it down in three months, even _if _you're still living here at that time. I just want to make sure that when you loose the Loft, you won't have to go out on the street. Roger, if you won't do it for yourself, do it for your wife and son. Do you really want to make them live on the street?" Roger turned to Mimi and Rodolfo, gazing at them with all the love he could possibly show."

"We'll discuss it," he finally agreed.

* * *

**AN:** I'm attempting at portraying Benny as not just the bad guy, but a sometimes-former friend who went a different way then the others. Hope I did the job right.


	16. Facing Your Fears

As night fell, Mimi found Roger standing out on the fire escape alone. With Emily in the kitchenette making dinner for the night and Mark and Penny busy with helping entertain Rodolfo, she went out to join him.

"Roger, why don't you come inside?" Mimi suggested.

"What do _you _think about this, Mimi?" Roger asked, cutting to the chase. "Do you want to move to that place?"

"Is that what this is about?"

"Just answer the question, Meems, please."

"Roger," Mimi sighed. "This isn't an issue that just affects you and me. Mark, Emily and Penny live here, too. They'll be moving with us, so we should discuss this with them."

"I'm… I'm scared, Mimi," Roger confessed. "When Mark and I left Scarsdale, this was the place we settled into. It's been our home for seven years now. Living here is how we ended up meeting Collins, and then you. And now…."

"I know how you feel," Mimi nodded. "When I came to New York when I was fifteen, I didn't have anywhere to go. I was alone and scared." Roger looked down at Mimi, a little surprised by this story. Mimi rarely talked about her past. "I ended up running into some skinheads who wouldn't leave me alone. That was when I met Angel. She helped me out of that mess, and eventually directed me here. I've lived in this building ever since. Like you, this is the only place in New York I know. The thought of leaving it _is_ scary. But we've faced some scary things before, and we got through it."

"She's right, Roger. I seem to remember _you _being scared of things that turned out good for you," Roger and Mimi glanced over to see that Emily and Mark were both standing by the open window, listening to their conservation.

"What are you….?"

"I was going to inform you that dinner was ready," Emily explained. "But you were having that conversation and we didn't want to interrupt."

"Roger, you're not the _only _one who's worried about this," Mark assured. "But like Mimi said, we've both faced fear before, and it always turned out good in the end. I seem to remember you being afraid of opening up to Mimi. That turned out good, though."

"Yeah," Roger agreed, gazing down at Mimi tenderly. "It sure did."

"Personally," Emily contributed, "I find that sometimes, the things that scare you the most are usually the most worthwhile. I was scared of something sometime ago. But that something actually led to one of the greatest aspects in my life, right up there with meeting you and Penny's birth."

"What was that?" Mimi asked.

"You remember when Mark's parents came here, after Mark's lie about having a girlfriend, right? And you were there when that incident brought about the first kiss Mark and I ever shared. I never mentioned this to anyone before, but after I left, I spent the next two hours in my apartment, absolutely terrified over what had happened." Emily grinned slightly before continuing. "Up until that point, Mark and I had made it perfectly clear that we viewed each other as just good friends, and the thought of us being something more seemed crazy. So, at the time, it actually scared me how much I liked that kiss. I kept trying to convince myself that it was just the moment that was putting all those thoughts of us together in my head, that things would go back to normal in the morning and it would be just something we'd laugh about in the years to come. But the more I tried convincing myself otherwise, the more the concept appealed to me. Now, I truly believe that was the night I realized that I'd fallen in love with Mark." At this confession, Mark reached out to give Emily's hand a loving squeeze.

"So, you're saying we should move, then," Roger sighed.

"Well," Mark thought for a moment. "I suppose we should at least _look _at this place before making a decision. We might not even like it. I don't want to decide on living somewhere that I've never seen."

"Like a roach motel," Emily quipped. "Roaches go in aimlessly without taking a moment to figure out what's inside. Turns out being the last mistake they ever make."

When the Bohemian family finally sat down to dinner of Mexican Lasagna, a new recipe Emily had found in a magazine, they had all agreed to not discuss the upcoming move until they had evaluated the apartment Benny had given them.

* * *

The next day, the Bohemians were all over checking out the condo.

"You're seriously going to live _here_?!" Maureen exclaimed from the balcony. "I mean, have you seen the view?"

"We haven't decided anything," Mark explained. "We're only looking right now."

"But look!" Maureen cried out, pointing at something. "You'd have the greatest view of the fireworks on Independence Day!"

"The bathrooms are _in_ the bedrooms," Mimi noted, coming out into the living room area with Roger following, the sleeping Rodolfo strapped to his back in a blue baby back-carrier. "We wouldn't have to walk across the place to go to the bathroom at night."

"And we can get back to our bed after taking one of our showers quicker," Roger added, a faint sly glint in his eye.

"Oh, you'd like that, would you?" Mimi smirked, playfully hooking her fingers through his belt loops. Roger's grin grew more devious as he wrapped an arm around Mimi's waist to pull her closer to him.

"You bet I would," he replied gruffly.

"Mom, have you seen the size of the bedrooms?" Penny asked, coming down the stairs that led from the third bedroom to the living room, which she had been exploring with Collins.

"They certainly are roomy," Collins agreed. "Think about it, Penny. You can have an entire room to give any theme you want."

"Yeah, like a celestial theme, with moons, stars and clouds!"

From the kitchenette, Mark, Emily and Joanne watched their friends, Maureen still gushing about the view, Roger and Mimi practically hanging off each other, and Penny happily discussing decorating ideas with Collins.

"From the sound of things," Joanne noted, turning to Mark and Emily, "the others are in favor of the move here."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Mark nodded. "How about you Emily? What do you think of the place?"

"I don't know," Emily sighed before eyeing the furnished table in the kitchenette. "We wouldn't be required to keep the furniture if we _do_ decide to take it, would we? I mean, this is nice stuff, but I'm quite partial to _our _stuff. I don't exactly want to loose that metal table from the Loft, for instance. I like that metal table.

"But apart from that, I just don't know. Moving in wouldn't be the end of the world for me, though. Of course, you have to remember that I'm used to moving by now. I've had four different homes that I can remember. The house in suburbia with my parents, the apartment I shared with Zack, the room above the Center, and then Mimi's old pad below the Loft. All things considered, the word would probably be yours, Mark. It has to be a unanimous decision, and you haven't said a word on what you think yet. I'll go along with whatever _you _decide." Mark swallowed and cast his eyes over his family, trying to picture the possibilities in his mind. Possibilities of summer nights out on the balcony, with lemonade and ice cream cones, winter days in front of the fireplace located in the living room, with all of them actually enjoying a fire that didn't require burning random things in a rusty barrel, Emily's gourmet meals cooked in a stove that didn't have a temperature setting known for acting up….

Finally, Mark opened his eyes, and glanced back at the others, who were all waiting for his say.

"I think…" Mark took a breath, "this place..._will _do. Quite nicely."

* * *

**AN:** I'm currently debating something, so I'm leaving it up to you. Should this story include Mark and Emily's wedding, or should that just happen 'off-screen'? I can go either way, as it won't seriously affect the overall story, but I'd like to know what you want to see.


	17. A New Life Begins

**AN: **Well, here it is. I hope no one's too disappointed, but I didn't go into much detail of the actual ceremony. Just the events leading up to it. The reason for this is, since I don't happen to know many Jewish people, my knowledge of their customs is limited only to what I can find online. If the bits I did include are inaccurate, my apologies, but I did my best.  
I also want to give two warnings: 1) This chapter's probably not that great, so, you don't have to tell me if it's bad. 2) The rating may go up during the final scene. It depends on where you think the line between T and M should be drawn. I also have to go on record that I really went outside my normal comfort zone with the scene in question, and it's the first one of its like that I made public.  
Anyway, on with the story.

* * *

The following days seemed to go by at twice the normal speed. Before anyone knew it, it was the week before the day Mark and Emily had decided to hold their wedding ceremony, which would be a day and a half before they left the Loft for the last time. The Bohemians had invaded the Life Café for their last dinner together before the ceremony. After this night, Mark and Emily wouldn't be permitted to even see each other, as dictated by Jewish tradition. Mark had tried to get his parents to ease up on that old tradition, but they had insisted, pointing out that they had already been lax on the tradition of having family members being the wedding party members so the other Bohemians could take up the roles, and that Mark really shouldn't try to push for more. As a result, Emily and Penny would be staying with Maureen and Joanne for the entire week.

Throughout the dinner, Mark's parents had spent a lot of the night talking with Nana and Officer Kurtz, who had been upholding all the duties normally covered by the bride's parents since Emily's parents were unable to do so. While everyone else was visiting and talking with each other, Mark leaned over to have a whispered conversation with Emily.

"Are you okay, Emily?"

"Yeah, of course I am. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I just was thinking about… it just seems a bit much, asking you to put up with all these customs you weren't raised to uphold."

"Mark, it's not like I didn't know what I was getting into by choosing to marry a Jewish man. I knew that there would be some cultural differences. And it's not like you can rewrite ancient Jewish customs."

"Yeah, but still. The whole thing about us not being allowed to see each other for a week…" Emily smiled gently, kissing Mark's cheek.

"Weeks go by fast," she pointed out. "And it's not like we'll be _completely _cut off from each other. I think our friends would be more then happy to act as messengers for us.

"I know. But I still can't help but envy guys who weren't raised under the Jewish faith. They only have to put up with twenty-four hours." Suddenly, a strange gleam appeared in Emily's eye.

"Well, hopefully _this _will last you the week," she grinned before giving him a long, lingering and extremely deep kiss, one that left Mark partially floored.

"Oh, like I'm seriously expected to leave after _that_?" Mark asked once he regained his breath.

"Sorry, Mark. But you know perfectly well. It's the tradition."

"Aw, forget tradition. We're Bohemians. What do we care about tradition?"

"Unfortunately, your parents and my caretaker _aren't _Bohemians, so they _do _care about tradition." Mark groaned slightly, glancing over at his parents.

"Suppose it's too late to just sign a document at city hall or something?" Mark asked, only half-joking. Emily laughed at the question.

"Yeah, I think that window's _long_ since passed." Sharing a smile, the two kissed again.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Mimi made her way up to Joanne and Maureen's pad. The girls were heading out for a girls day out. Penny was off at school and Collins had agreed to watch Rodolfo for a few hours since Roger was off at band practice. That gave the four girls the entire day to themselves.

When the dancer opened the door, she found Emily standing in the corner in a sleeveless, scoop necked white dress with a pleated bodice. Nana was hemming the dress while Maureen and Joanne were standing by.

"Hey, Emily. Where'd you get that?" Mimi asked.

"Nana brought it over," Emily explained. "She wanted me to try it on so she could do some minor alterations. It's...the same dress my mom wore when she married my dad."

"Oh! Is that the dress you're going to be wearing?" Mimi asked excitedly. "It's so pretty."

"Thanks. I know it's not much, but…"

"Don't be silly, Emily," Joanne spoke up. "You look great in it."

"She looks just like her mother," Nana corrected.

"_Really_?" Emily glanced down at the elderly Asian woman, looking suddenly emotional. Nana's face broke into a smile before she got to her feet to hug Emily.

"Natalie and Zeke would have been so happy for you," Nana stated. "If only they could be here to see this day." Wiping her eyes, Nana stepped back to evaluate the work she'd done on the dress. "It's finished," she announced, packing up her sewing things. "Well, then. I won't delay you girls any longer. Enjoy your day out." And after hugging Emily a second time, Nana left the apartment.

"So, Emily, in less then a week, you're getting married," Maureen noted after Emily had taken off the dress and changed back into normal clothes. "How does it feel?"

"Like... every emotion under the sun combined," Emily confessed. "I know that probably sounds corny, but I don't know how else to describe it."

"Well, believe me," Joanne assured. "You deserve this."

"Thanks, Joanne," Emily smiled, carefully folding her dress back into the box that was sitting on the table, before a moment of faint sorrow passed over her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But...Nana mentioning my mom and dad got me thinking about…. It just got me wishing they _could _be there. Them and…and Zack. That's all."

"I know how you feel," Mimi sympathized, giving her friend a comforting hug. "When I married Roger, I felt the same way about Angel not being there."

"Your brother would have been proud, Emily," Joanne smiled gently.

"Yeah. That's what Nana said," Emily acknowledged. Joanne followed Mimi's example and joined the hug.

"Well, come on, guys! This is supposed to be a happy time!" Let's not keep wasting the day!" Maureen exclaimed excitedly. "We've got millions of stores to hit today!" With that, the drama queen took Emily by the arm and led her out of the apartment, with Mimi and Joanne close behind, all three slightly annoyed by Maureen's lack of decorum. But her exuberance always seemed to be contagious in the end.

* * *

Roger sat at a small bar, having a short break from practice while taking the occasional sip from his beer.

"Hey, can I join you?" Roger looked up to find Mark had appeared behind him.

"Oh, hey there, Mark," Roger greeted, gesturing to the barstool next to him in an invitation. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on lunch break and I happened to be nearby. So, I thought I'd stop by and… see how things were going." Roger eyed Mark skeptically, noticing how he was slightly avoiding eye contact.

"Why do I get the feeling that you really just want to talk?" A hint of a smile appeared at the corners of Mark's mouth.

"There's going to be a lot to do next week, wouldn't you say?" Mark announced casually. "We're all moving into that new apartment, a day and a half after the wedding."

"Yeah, I know," Roger grinned. "So, what? You getting cold feet about getting married or something?"

"No. Come on, Roger. I love Emily, you know I do."

"Then, what's the problem?" Once again, Mark glanced down at is hands, looking slightly self-conscious.

"It's not the ceremony I'm worried about. I don't have any hesitations about going through with that. It's what'll happen...after the ceremony."

"Sorry, buddy. But I don't think I'm following you."

"It's just that… well, you know… Emily, she's never…. And I… well, not since Maureen…" Instantly, Roger threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, man!" he gasped between laughs. "Collins would have loved to hear that! Mark Cohen's getting performance anxiety!"

"Oh, like _you _weren't a little nervous before your first time with Mimi!" Mark fired back.

"Okay, point taken." Roger tried to calm down. "But, seriously, Mark. I think it's safe to say she's probably nervous about that, too. Like you said, she's never had any experience in that area."

"Exactly. You know, that whole… 'first time should be…… special' thing."

"Okay, seriously. Collins _really _should have been here." Roger chuckled. "He'd have told you that was the cutest thing you've ever said."

"For something that's supposed to be the best man's advice, that's not helping," Mark stated.

"Sorry," Roger apologized sincerely. "But kidding aside, Mark. If you want some best man's advice, don't think about it. Just… do what comes naturally."

"Is that what _you _did?" Mark asked after a pause.

"Yeah, it was. And judging by Mimi's reactions, I'd say she _loved_ it." Unfortunately, for Mark, Roger had chosen to say this right when Mark was in the middle of drinking the beer the bartender had brought him, resulting in the filmmaker slightly choking on the drink. Laughing once again, Roger lightly hit Mark's back. "Come on now, Mark. We can't have you choking to death now," Roger joked.

"Yeah, real funny, Roger," Mark coughed, regaining control of his choking.

"You know, I can't help thinking," Roger mused. "Emily has Mimi as matron of honor, Joanne and Maureen as bridesmaids, and Penny as flower girl. You have me as best man, Cindy's son as ring bearer, and Collins as a groomsman. You're sort of one person short here."

"Yeah, about that," Mark frowned slightly. "I _did _consider Cindy's husband, but if I did that, Cindy would probably also have to be a bridesmaid, too, and there still would be an uneven division."

"So, you _are_ one short?" Roger guessed. "Because with one phone call, I could have Robbie step in…"

"Actually, Roger," Mark shook his head. "I kind of already called someone. Although, I'm starting to wonder if he'd even show."

"Who'd you call?" Roger's brow furrowed in confusion. Mark glanced at the musician hesitantly.

"Promise you won't hit the ceiling?"

* * *

The countdown to the ceremony was now down to an hour. Mark stood in the Loft with Roger and Collins. Roger was in the middle of placing Rodolfo in his carrier. Officer Kurtz's wife, Beverly, was going to watch him during the ceremony, since Roger and Mimi would be busy being the best man and matron of honor. Sighing, Mark glanced at the clock on the wall.

"I don't think he's going to show," he groaned.

"I still can't believe you asked _him _to be a part of it," Roger added, scowling slightly.

"Mark might have had a point," Collins reasoned. "He got you that new place, he sometimes secretly covers the difference in your rent when you come a little short now, and let's not forget how he tried to help us find Mimi when she went missing. Maybe it_ is_ time to try and burry the hatchet."

"Besides, we all agreed I was one groomsman short," Mark sighed. At that moment, someone knocked at the door. After a second-long pause, Benny walked in, in full tux.

"Hey, guys," Benny said hesitantly. "Thanks for asking me to take part in this."

"Yeah, well…" Mark shrugged. "I guess, when you think about it, we _do _owe you a bit."

"Thanks, Mark. I appreciate it."

"Does Muff…" Roger stopped in mid-sentence to swallow hard. "Does _Allison _know you're here?"

"Yes, she does, as a matter of fact," Benny confirmed, a little taken aback that Roger had used his wife's real name. "I told her that this was an important day for my friend, and I had a right to be there." Taking a deep breath, Benny glanced around at the other Bohemians. "Well then. Guess we should get down to the synagogue?" Collins got up from his seat and started leaving with Benny.

"Hey, Benny!" Roger spoke up, stopping the landlord. For a brief moment, the two stood in a tense silence. But then, to everyone's surprise, Roger extended a hand out to Benny, who smiled in gratitude before shaking it, understanding it as a gesture of peace between them. "Thanks, Benny. Really."

"Coming from you, Roger, that means a lot," Benny smiled once again before he exited the Loft.

"So, you ready for this?" Roger asked.

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "I am"

"Well, come on, then, Cohen," he teased. "Let's get you married." Mark smiled widely, the two sharing a brotherly hug before heading out.

* * *

It was hours later before anyone returned to the Loft. However, most of them were not staying long. It had been agreed earlier that everyone would be allowing Mark and Emily, who had both changed back to their normal clothes sometime after the ceremony, to have the Loft all to themselves for a few hours, and Roger, Mimi and Penny were all willing to do their part in the agreement. Penny had returned just long enough to pick up an overnight bag since she was spending the night over at Collins' place, and to hug Emily and Mark goodnight. As for Roger and Mimi, they were only here for a moment to take their AZT, and then they'd be going off for some 'family time' with Rodolfo.

"Have a good time, guys," Mark said as Roger and Mimi left, Emily standing at his side.

"Thanks, Mark," Mimi waved, carrying Rodolfo in his blue carrier. "And congratulations. Both of you." Roger cast the newly married couple a warm smile before leaving with his family. Once they had left, a smiling Mark turned to Emily.

"It's so good to see this place again," Emily sighed, glancing around the Loft. "Even _if _it's only going to be for just one more day."

'I just can't believe we're going to have to say goodbye to this place so soon," Mark agreed. "The Loft's become almost part of us. The fact that it'll be gone soon…" Emily turned to Mark and walked up to him, pulling him into a comforting hug. The hug helped translate everything Emily wanted to convey, from understanding how he felt in loosing the Loft to equal sorrow at seeing it go, to assurance that everything would be okay in the end.

Once the hug had ended, they stepped back only slightly and smiled at each other for a few moments until Mark bent down slightly, kissing her deeply and passionately. In response, Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him. When they came up for air, they stood unmoving for a while, their foreheads touching, just enjoying being together. After a brief pause, Emily hesitantly began to finger the hem of Mark's shirt, as if debating removing it. Smiling gently, Mark saved her the trouble and discarded it for her. A faint pink hue instantly appeared in her cheeks as she glanced over Mark's bare chest, and a shaking hand slowly reached out to touch the exposed torso. For a moment, Mark didn't move, allowing her fingertips to move over his skin in exploration. But he soon placed his hands on her shoulders to pull her into a gentle hug.

"You nervous?" Mark asked, rubbing her back softly. Emily swallowed and nodded once. "Me too. If… you're not ready… we can stop if you're…." The filmmaker's words were cut off by Emily's kiss.

"It's okay. I… I _do _want this." This assurance was enough to hearten Mark. He slowly started to caress Emily's neck, collarbone and shoulders. The soft moan that escaped her throat made him know he was doing something right. Pulling back slightly, Mark took Emily by the hand and unhurriedly led her to his room, closing the door behind them with a soft click. Once inside, after Emily's cane had been propped up against the wall, he seated Emily on the edge of his bed, where she allowed him to carefully peel off her shirt. Mark proceeded to kiss Emily's exposed stomach while she kneaded the pale skin on his back, paying particular attention to the muscles just below the shoulders.

The couple's breathing was rapidly growing ragged as beads of sweat formed at their hairlines. Without interrupting his task with encircling Emily's navel with kisses, Mark reached up and gently unhooked her bra, slowly removing it from her body. Only once that was done did his lips abandon their location on Emily's belly and migrate gradually to the valley between the twin mounds. In response, Emily lowered her lips to Mark's bare shoulder, her fingers raking though his hair and lightly massaging his scalp with her fingernails. This action prompted an instant groan from Mark, who pulled back slightly to kiss Emily's lips. During the play of their lips, he took her wrists in his hands, and tenderly directed them to the rim of his pants, where a certain part of his anatomy had reacted to their contact. Emily paused for a moment to study Mark's face, causing her to see his eyes had started to darken. Momentarily smiling at one another, they began to kiss once again, with Emily slowly going to work at removing Mark's pants with his assistance. Within moments, Mark's clothing had been completely removed. At this point, Emily slowly leaned back onto the bed, with Mark climbing after her so his body was hovering over hers. The filmmaker hesitated for a moment to simply look at the woman lying beneath him.

"I love you, Emily," he whispered. The photographer smiled up at him.

"I love you, too," she replied. Bending slightly, Mark softly kissed the base of Emily's neck, followed by her collarbones before making short work of her jeans, the only remaining barrier between them. Slipping her arms around his neck, Emily pulled Mark down for a deep kiss, his hands tenderly cupping her breasts, lightly massaging them. Unable to wait much longer, Emily framed Mark's hips with her legs, giving him the invitation. Both inhaled sharply when Mark finally entered her for the first time, her hips arching upwards, in order to grant him deeper access.

Mark felt a shutter run through his body as he prepared to continue, beginning a slow, steady pace, gradually increasing his speed, rewarded by the feeling of Emily tightening around him, her breathing now replaced by sweet gasps and moans. His eyelids fell closed as pressure started building, only opening again when the sound of Emily's voice crying in pleasure reached his ears. Her cries continued with each new thrust, until, with a wave of heat from her body and a small moan, she went limp. It took Mark a brief moment longer before he found his release, and his body dropped onto the bed, spent from the exertion. His head found a place beneath Emily's breasts, allowing the sound of her heartbeat lead him back down to Earth. The steady rhythm slowly transformed into a soothing beat that began to lull him to sleep, assisted by the feel of Emily lovingly stroking his hair. The strokes grew slower as she too drifted off as well. Soon, the night continued on, with the couple falling asleep in each others arms.


	18. The End of an Era

**AN:** I'm posting two chapters tonight. I really hope they're enjoyable. I've been planning them for quite some time now. So, read on and enjoy.

* * *

"How's this?"

"Mmmm. Just a little bit to the right. Perfect. Set it down right there." Following Roger's request, Collins, with the assistance of Officer Kurtz, set the metal table down in the kitchenette of the new apartment. The Bohemian's cop friend had volunteered to help the Bohemians move the majority of their things from the Loft to their new home. Currently, only the beds remained in the former music publishing factory so they would be able to have one last night in the Loft. When tomorrow came, they would be leaving the Loft for the very last time.

Once the old metal table had been set down, Officer Kurtz and Collins took a short break, resting up against the table. After a moment, Collins took out a joint, but before he lit it, he noticed the look Officer Kurtz was giving him.

"Collins," the cop spoke with a mixture of sternness and amusement, "I don't want to have to arrest you."

"Right," Collins chuckled, returning the joint to his pocket. "Sorry, Officer Kurtz. I keep forgetting who you are."

"Hey, you're not fooling anyone, you know," Mark pretended to scold Officer Kurtz. "Everyone here knows you'd never arrest any of us. You like us too much."

"Let's just say you're all very lucky that I'm on such good terms with Miss Good… well, I suppose I should be calling her Mrs. Cohen, now."

"Oh, come on, Uncle Kevin!" Emily laughed, pausing in her task of categorizing a few boxes in the corner with Mimi. "You've known me since I was ten. I used to have dinner at your place for Easter every year. Don't you think that's enough for you to drop the formality and call me 'Emily'?"

"You don't seem to have a problem with Dr. Jordan addressing you formally, and he's known you a bit longer then I have," Officer Kurtz pointed out.

"Dr. Jordan wasn't my brother's partner and best friend, was he?"

"I suppose not. Good point…. Emily."

Further conversation was postponed when a slight distraction came in the form of a baby's squeal. On the other side of the apartment, Maureen was lying back on the couch, holding Rodolfo up in the air, prompting the baby boy to laugh in excitement.

"Maureen, I swear!" Roger warned. "If you even come close to dropping him…"

"Oh, yeah! We're gonna have so much fun with you!" Maureen announced to Rodolfo, ignoring Roger. "Auntie Maureen's gonna take you to the circus to see the elephants, take you down to the Life for soy burgers, get you to the state fair to ride the ponies…."

"Maureen, honey, give the poor boy a break!" Joanne laughed, rescuing the infant. "He's only three months old!"

"So? He's gonna get bigger really fast," Maureen pointed out, starting to play with Rodolfo's tiny feet. Deciding to give up for now, Joanne joined Maureen in fawning over the baby.

"Penny, we got another box for your room," Emily announced, passing the ten-year-old a cardboard box so she could take it up to her room.

"And looks like this one's the kitchen stuff," Mark surmised, peaking into another one.

"I'll take care of that," Collins offered, taking the box from the pile. However, as Collins stored the kitchen supplies above the refrigerator, a folded sheet of paper fell out of his pocket.

"What's that?" Roger asked, picking up the paper and unfolding it.

"Oh! That's…um…" Collins stammered, looking suddenly nervous. Roger's face quickly grew concerned as he read the paper.

"Collins, what…when….?"

"What is it?" Mark looked from Collins to Roger, with the others also listening, their curiosity aroused. Collins took the paper from Roger before turning to the others.

"I didn't want to say anything about it right away, because I didn't want to ruin Mark and Emily's wedding with this," he explained. "I went down to the clinic not to long ago for a regular blood test. It turns out… my T-Cells have dropped recently. I'm at the threshold of stage three." This information was met with an instant silence.

"How… how much longer….?" Penny asked hesitantly.

"They said another year, at best," Collins admitted. "Thing is, I'm not sad about it. Not really. This means I won't have much longer before I'm with Angel again."

The other Bohemians took a long moment to digest Collin's news. Finally, Emily abandoned the boxes and strode forward, hugging her friend.

"Hey, now. Not that I don't appreciate it, but what's this for?" Collins laughed

"When Zack died," Emily explained, not breaking the hug, "what hurt the most was that there were still so many things I never got to say to him. I'm not about to make the same mistake again. So, I'm starting with this, to make sure you know that I'm _so _glad I have you as a friend." In an instant, Penny had hurried up to join in the hug, followed by the others.

"One more year, huh?" Maureen smiled weakly once the embrace had ended. "Guess we better make it one he-l of a year, then." The drama queen stepped away and ducked into the refrigerator, coming out with two bottles that had been put in there earlier. One was a bottle of the Stoli Collins always brought to the Loft for Christmas, and the other contained root beer for Penny. "Collins, would you do the honors?" Chuckling in appreciation, Collins poured out the proper number of drinks in the usual paper cups and distributed them.

"Here's to the upcoming year, and new beginnings," Collins toasted as the members of the Bohemian family clinked their paper cups. "And to friendship, love, and family."

"La vie Boheme!" nine voices chorused.

* * *

The moment had come. Roger, Mimi, Penny, Mark and Emily stood around in the empty Loft, preparing to say goodbye to their old home.

"Come on, Wenceslas," Penny smiled, fastening the harness around the small black pig. "Benny will be here any moment to give us a ride to our new home in his Range Rover. Don't worry. His wife's dog, Gatsby, won't be coming, so you'll be perfectly safe."

Meanwhile, Roger was carefully packing up his red fender in its case. Mimi came up behind him, with Rodolfo lying contently in her arms, and gently squeezed his arm. Glancing down at the dancer, Roger wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her softly before holding out a finger for Rodolfo to take hold of. Mark watched them quietly until Emily had come up to his side and gave his arm a hug. Smiling tenderly, Mark draped an arm over her shoulder and placed a kiss on her temple, also reaching out to lightly ruffle Penny's hair.

"I'm going to miss this place," Mimi sighed.

"I know, baby," Roger whispered. "We all will."

"Here, Penny," Mark handed the girl her small suitcase. "You go wait downstairs. We'll be down shortly, okay?"

"Okay, Dad," Penny grinned, starting to head out, but pausing to look back, beaming at the filmmaker. "Hmm. 'Dad'. I like that." With one more smile, Penny led Wenceslas out of the Loft.

"Well," Mark turned back to his friends and new wife. "We had a lot of great times here, haven't we?"

"Sure did," Roger agreed. "Who'd have thought? The number of times we complained about how sh-tty this place was, and now that we're actually saying _goodbye _to it…" Once again, the four Bohemians stood in respectful silence.

"Well," Emily spoke with a voice slightly cracked with emotion. "We'd, um, better get going if we want to get settled in the new place before meeting the others at the Life for a commemorative lunch." Slowly, the small group proceeded to the door, with Mimi softly bouncing Rodolfo in her arms. However, the girls soon noticed Mark and Roger were not moving.

"Mark, Roger?" Emily and Mimi paused by the door. "Are you two coming?"

"Not yet," Mark shook his head. "We just want to look around and make sure we didn't forget anything." Nodding in understanding, the girls proceeded down the stairs. Once alone, the boys stood in silence, reflecting. When they closed their eyes, they could almost sense overwhelming echoes from the past. The pearls of laughter, the melody of a guitar playing, the beat of drumsticks on a plastic pickle tub, the taste of Stoli on their tongues, the heat from fire fueled by burning posters and screenplays, and so much more.

After a long moment, they came out of their trance, smiling in reminiscence. Steeling themselves, they exited the room, pausing in the doorway to look back into the Loft, before slowly sliding the graffitied metal door for the very last time. The era of the Bohemian's Loft had ended.


	19. Lullaby

It was past midnight, but Roger was still wide awake. Sleep just wasn't coming for him. It was the first night in the new place, and he couldn't seem to relax his mind. Not even the feel of Mimi, sound asleep in his arms, her breaths in a slow, steady rhythm, helped.

At that moment, a new sound caught Roger's attention. From the crib situated nearby, Rodolfo was awake and starting to babble. Careful not to wake Mimi, Roger untangled his arms from their position around her waist and made his way to the crib.

"Hey, little man," Roger smiled softly at his three-month-old son, gently picking him up and carrying him to the living room area. "You can't sleep, either, huh? Yeah, it's always strange on the first night in a new place." Roger took a seat on the couch, where he gently started rocking Rodolfo. "But I really think you'll grow to love living here. Think about it, Rodolfo. You'll take your first steps here. Uncle Mark will be there to capture it on film, of course. You'll get homemade cake on your birthday every year, made by your Aunt Emily. Every Christmas, you'll get to unwrap presents under a _real_ Christmas tree. And I…" Roger's face suddenly fell. "I won't be around to see it."

Looking at his son, with his tiny fingers and toes, and his wide brown eyes which were just like his mother's, Roger felt the begging of tears forming. Holding the baby closer, Roger started to sing a small lullaby.

"_Hush now baby, don't you cry._  
_Rest your wings my butterfly. _  
_Peace will come to you in time, _  
_And I will sing this lullaby. _

_Know though I must leave, my child,  
That I would stay here by your side.  
And if you wake before I'm gone,  
Remember this sweet lullaby._

_And all love, through darkness,_  
_Don't you ever stop believing.  
With love forlorn, with love you'll find your way,  
My love._

_The world has turned the day to dark.  
I leave this night with heavy heart.  
When I return to dry your eyes,  
I will sing this lullaby.  
Yes I will sing this lullaby."_

As Roger finished the lullaby, Rodolfo slipped off to sleep, effectively soothed by his father's voice. But Roger continued to rock him, trying, without much success, to hold back his tears.

"Roger?" Hearing his name, Roger looked up suddenly to see Mimi standing in the doorway to their room.

"Mimi! What are you…? You should be sleeping."

"I was. But I woke up, and saw you weren't with me." Mimi crossed the room to join Roger on the couch, snuggling up against him. "Why are you crying, babe?"

"Oh, Meems. Look at him," Roger whispered, unable to take his eyes away from Rodolfo. "I don't want to leave him. I want to see him grow up. I want to teach him how to ride a bike, to take him down to the park to play catch. I want to do all that father-son stuff with him."

"I know," Mimi replied with sorrow. "I wish I could watch him grow up, too, and I could read him bedtime stories, and take him out for ice cream in the summer on the way to the zoo, and bring him to the park so he can play on the swings. But the important thing is we still have time left, and we're able to treasure that time and make those moments count. And when our time _is_ up, I know we'll still be able to see him, even if he won't be able to see us. We'll be able to watch over him with Angel. And Mark and Emily will still be around to make sure he grows up happy and not make the same mistakes we made. And he'll have his cousins to play with, so he won't be lonely for friends."

"Cousins?" Roger blinked. "What cousins?"

"Honestly, Roger," Mimi laughed. "Have you forgotten Mark and Emily so quickly? I know they both love Penny, but don't you think it's safe to assume that they might want a child or two that would be _theirs_?"

"I guess you have a point, there," Roger nodded.

At that moment, Rodolfo stirred in his sleep, so Roger and Mimi's attention was directed back to the infant.

"He's going to be such a beautiful young man when he grows up," Roger predicted.

"There's something he'll have in common with his father," Mimi smiled.

"Well, what about his mother?" Roger fired back, kissing her temple before parents and child got off the couch to head back to bed.

Before Roger returned Rodolfo to his crib, he and Mimi both placed a kiss on the baby's forehead.

"Goodnight, Rodolfo," Roger whispered, wrapping the blanket around the infant. "And always remember. Mommy and Daddy both love you, son. We always will."

"And no matter what," Mimi added, gently stroking the baby boy's head, "we'll _always _be with you." When Roger and Mimi returned to their bed, with Roger wrapping his arms around Mimi and holding her close against his chest, Roger's mind was finally relaxed enough to sleep. There was no way of knowing what the morning would bring, or all the mornings that would follow. But no matter what, his friends, his family, would be there. They'd be there for him, they'd be there for Mimi, and they would be there for Rodolfo. Things were changing, and they would always change. But the bonds they had formed with each other would always remain. The love and friendship that existed among the Bohemian family would always stay the same.

* * *

**AN:** Once again, the song in this chapter is from Josh Groban's latest album. I've had an image of Roger singing that song to his son since the very start of this story, and am glad I could finally get it onto paper.  
I also have, for some, sad news. The next chapter will be the very last one. So, get ready for that. Until next time...


	20. Life Goes On

**AN:** And now, I give you all the final chapter of Sunsets and Sunrises. If anyone is interested, my photobucket account, which can be accessed in my profile, now has pics of the dress Emily wore at the wedding in chapter 17, as well as a basic floorplan of the new condo the Bohemians have moved into, and models for my OCs, thanks to an online dollmaker (The OCs that are seen as kids in this story are shown a bit older in the photobucket account, since the doll maker doesn't offer many options for dolls of kids.) The pics in question are inside the 'Fanfiction Pics' folder. Hope you find them enjoyable. With that, please enjoy the final installment to this story.

* * *

Spring had once again come to New York City. Mark stood in the middle of Tompkins Square Park, filming the couples walking past, arm in arm, the old men feeding the pigeons, and a group of children playing in the nearby playground. As he went about filming, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of a leather jacket. Doing a quick double take, he watched as a young man, the owner of the jacket, walked by, his arms wrapped around a pretty girl at his side. The two were deep in conversation. A small lump formed in Mark's throat as he watched them, memories resurfacing.

"Mark?" His thoughts were broken when he heard the familiar voice of Emily saying his name. The filmmaker turned to his wife, who was sitting on the bench behind him with Penny, now a thirteen-year-old girl, at her side. "Thinking about the good old days?" Emily asked with a soft smile. Mark chuckled lightly, kissing her forehead.

"Just one of those moments, when you see something and your mind goes back," he explained.

"Yeah. I have those moments, too," Emily agreed, readjusting her hold on the tiny infant sleeping in her arms. Mark beamed as he looked at their baby girl, Lucia Maria Cohen. It was a unanimous decision to give her a name that meant 'light', to represent the light that he, Emily, Maureen and Joanne all tried to keep burning thorough all the hard times they had gone through.

"You know what we should do?" Penny suggested, stepping into the conversation, tightening her hold on the harness that led Wenceslas, who was no longer the small black pig he once was, but fully grown at 150 lb. "Tomorrow's going to be sunny, so we should head over to Marble Cemetery. It's been a while since we visited the others. I'd like to say 'hi' to them."

The small family shared bittersweet smiles. Collins had outlived the one year estimate he'd been given upon learning how his T-cells had dropped, and had held on for six months longer. As for Roger and Mimi, the sorrow of their deaths had been mixed with happiness for them. It had been a poetic passing, almost tragically beautiful. The virus had taken hold of them both simultaneously. They had died together, side-by-side, while holding hands. It was how they would have wanted it, together even in death.

Wiping away a small tear, Mark glanced down at his oldest daughter.

"I think that's a great idea," he agreed.

"Oh, dear," Emily laughed suddenly, glancing at her watch. "We better get going. Maureen's protest on that store that's discontinuing her favorite lipstick color starts in an hour. You know how she goes Pompeii on us when we don't show up.

"Yeah, she certainly does go berserk if we miss her protests," Mark agreed, packing up his camera, and turning to the playground. "Boys! Let's go!"

"Unka Mark!"

"Daddy!"

Two of the boys abandoned their game of tossing a large red ball around and started running over. The first was three years old with dirty blond hair and chocolate brown eyes. The other boy was a year younger, with blue eyes and frizzy mousy-brown hair. A warm smile appeared on Mark's face as he knelt down to hug the two boys. Rodolfo was looking more like his father every day. Apart from that, the boy had inherited Mimi's stubbornness and Roger's temperament. This combination made Mark and Emily's attempts at raising him difficult, but neither of them would have it any other way. As for his little blue-eyed son, no matter how much time went by, Mark could still remember the day they had chosen his name, Zachary Thomas Cohen. Little Zack was just a fountain of questions, and his inquisitiveness exceeded that of other boys his age. His current record for consecutive 'whys?' asked was twelve, but Mark and Emily both had a feeling that this statistic would increase as he got older.

"So, boys," Emily grinned at the two toddlers. "What should I make for dinner tonight?"

"'Ot dogs!" The boys chorused. Mark laughed and ruffled their hair.

"Hot dogs it is," Mark smiled. Cheering, Rodolfo and Zack started running down the path, with Penny following them to make sure they didn't get into trouble.

"Hey, what's the face for?" Emily asked, noticing the distant look that had appeared on Mark's face.

"Watching those two," Mark shrugged. "It always reminds me of how I used to play with Roger when we were that age." Smiling in understanding, Emily slowly got to her feet and tenderly kissed Mark's cheek.

"I miss him, too, Mark," she sympathized. "I miss all of them. But it's not like we won't see them again. And sometimes, I can almost swear I sense them around. It sounds crazy, but there are times when I can almost hear the chords of a fender, or hear them laughing." The two stood silently, as if expecting some heavenly sign that their friends were there with them, but to no avail.

"I suppose I better catch the boys," Emily decided, watching as Rodolfo and Zack started playing near the fountain. "I just _know _one of them is going to fall in."

"Here. I'll take her," Mark offered, holding out his arms for Lucia. Once the baby was in her father's hold, Emily placed a loving kiss on his lips.

"I love you," she reminded.

"I love you, too." Taking hold of the cane that had been propped up against the bench, Emily moved on to keep Rodolfo and Zack in line, leaving Mark with Lucia. After a moment, Mark glanced up at the sky, dotted with clouds.

"Wish you were here, you guys," Mark whispered. "It's never the same without you around. We're going to make sure the children grow up, hearing all about you, and all the wonderfully crazy times we had together. We're going to teach them all to live by our old mantra. No day but today, right? I'm going to make sure of that. And I hope you're enjoying yourselves up there. Just don't start the party until the rest of us get there. Okay?"

Before Mark joined his wife, children, and 'nephew', he paused for a moment as a sudden breeze went by, ruffling his hair which had grown a few centimeters over the years. He might have imagined it, but he was so sure that he could smell wonderfully familiar things in that breeze. Roger's aftershave, Mimi's shampoo, one of Collins' joints, and the perfume Angel used to wear whenever she was in drag. A peaceful smile stretched across Mark's face as he looked back at the sky, waving up to the heavens.

"Come on then, Lucia," Mark turned his attention back down at his infant daughter, who was now awake and looking up at him with large violet eyes, eyes that Nana had said she'd inherited from her grandmother, Natalie. "Better catch up to Mommy and the others." With one last glance at the heavens, Mark went on his way to catch up to Emily, Penny, Rodolfo and Zack, walking past the trees where the new spring blossoms were just beginning to open.

* * *

**AN: **(Takes a bow) And that, my loyal readers, is the very end of the Emily Story Arc. After this, I'm going off to try my luck in other fandoms on this site, particularly the Godzilla: the Series fandom. I've been promising GTS stories for some time now, so I best make good on that promise. Before I go, I just want to give a big thank you to everyone who's stuck with my stories from the beginning, especially those who were kind enough to give their reviews, (except a select few who chose to flame instead). You all know who you are.  
On a final note, if you've enjoyed these stories, you might want to check out my two Labyrinth fics: Beyond the Thirteenth Hour, and The Power of Innocence. Those two were among my first works that were made public, so I hope they match up to my RENT stories.  
And so, everyone, this is Data Girl 3, saying goodbye, and signing off.


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